UNSC briefing on Yemen

(July 11, 2022; 1000 hrs EDT/ 1930 hrs IST)

INDIA STATEMENT

    Thank you, Mr. President. I thank the UN Special Envoy Hans Grundberg and Ms. Joyce Msuya, Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator for their briefings.

2.    The renewal of the nationwide truce has helped in considerably reducing hostilities at frontlines. It is the responsibility of the relevant parties to ensure that the truce is upheld and converted into a durable and long-lasting ceasefire.

3.    The truce has also helped shift the focus away from the military arena and brought much needed attention to the political and economic aspects of the conflict. We appreciate the efforts of the UN Special Envoy to engage with the parties in the implementation and consolidation of all measures agreed as part of the truce agreement and move towards a political dialogue.

4.    The full and meaningful implementation of all elements of the truce is critical for sustaining the truce. While progress has been achieved in the delivery of fuel at Hudaydah port and opening of Sana’a airport, the opening of roads in Taiz remains deadlocked. Yemenis have suffered for too long from the impact of road closures. Immediate progress in opening of arterial roads to these governates is an urgent humanitarian imperative. We call on Ansarallah to negotiate in good faith to urgently reach an agreement on this issue. 

5.    The truce is also an opportunity to step up humanitarian aid to Yemen's needy population. Instead, we are witnessing scaling down of aid operations due to critical funding gaps, whose impact is further exacerbated by global inflation in commodity prices. The low level of funding, unless reversed quickly, could lead to further cuts to humanitarian aid in Yemen, including food aid. This would leave millions of Yemenis, especially children, without adequate food and nutrition. 

6.    In order to mitigate the supply changes in the global commodity markets and their adverse impact on food security, India has been providing financial assistance as well as supplying food grains to countries in need. India has exported more than 250,000 tons of wheat to Yemen, in the last three months. 

7.    It is also important to ensure the civilian nature of the ports in the Hudaydah governorate from the food security perspective, as these ports remain the main gateway for flow of food and other essential commodities into Yemen. In this regard, India supports a more effective mandate for the UN Mission to support the Hudaydah Agreement, which will enable the Mission to undertake monitoring missions to these ports and report on their possible use for military purposes.

8.    A sustainable solution to the humanitarian crisis lies in concrete economic measures that benefit the people of Yemen. We have underscored the need to address the disruption in key segments of Yemen’s economy and its fragmentation. We recognize the efforts of the Presidential Leadership Council to address these challenges. The international community must support the Government of Yemen to help them overcome these challenges.

9.    We are also concerned by the increasing number of attacks reportedly attributed to Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, the AQAP. AQAP is actively exploiting the conflict in Yemen, notwithstanding the truce and the changed military dynamics, and poses a significant threat to peace and stability in Yemen, across the region and beyond. The Council must not lose focus of this threat.

10.    The only sustainable solution to the conflict is a peacefully negotiated, Yemeni-led and Yemeni-owned political settlement that prioritizes the well-being of all Yemenis and meets their legitimate aspirations. We encourage all parties to work actively with the UN Special Envoy in his efforts to find a sustainable political solution. 

11.    The nationwide truce and other recent developments in Yemen have raised the hopes of the people of Yemen that the conflict, which has devastated their lives during the last seven years, could possibly, end soon. We need to ensure that the Council does not let them down in this regard.

I thank you. 

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