Виступ делегації України на засіданні РБ ООН щодо ситуації в Ємені

I thank USG Stephen O’Brien for his consistently high-end analysis and diligence when assessing the current situation in Yemen.

Mr. President,

Ukraine remains convinced of the urgent need to put an end to the violence in Yemen and reach a sustainable political solution to the conflict.

We are concerned by the worsening humanitarian situation in Yemen and urge all the parties to ensure a sustainable delivery of commercial and humanitarian supplies, without which millions of Yemenis are at risk of famine and death.

We welcome the delivery of the first humanitarian truck to the Taiz city carrying vital medical equipment. However we note with regret that Stephen O’Brien was prevented from visiting Taiz on February 28 and echo the UN call on the parties to the conflict to respect their responsibilities under international humanitarian law, including guaranteeing a sustainable, full and unimpeded humanitarian access.

Mr. President,

We are increasingly concerned at the upsurge of rocket attacks launched by the Houthi forces in Yemen against objects located within the Saudi Arabia territory as well as maritime vessels operating near Bab Al-Mandeb. The use by the Al-Houthi-Saleh forces of an unmanned remote-control boat to attack a Saudi vessel in the Red Sea on January 30 testifies to increased level of sophistication of Houthi-Saleh attacks that threaten global energy supplies and the freedom of maritime navigation in the region. Keeping the important shipping passage of Bab Al-Mandeb safe and secure is of paramount importance for international peace.

Al Houthi-Saleh forces also increased their use of ballistic missiles: 14 registered ballistic missiles launches in February and 13 in January 2017 against a 2016 frequency of 3 such attacks per month. We call for such attacks to cease immediately and urge necessary steps to be taken to deescalate the situation.

Thus, blocking more weapons shipments to the Houthi-Saleh forces is essential to prevent further escalation of the conflict. Delivery of the ever more sophisticated weaponry to the Houthi fighters is not going to help the situation.

Mr. President,

Reaching a negotiated political solution remains complicated. We reiterate our support to the Special Envoy in his pursuit to find a political solution to the conflict in Yemen and welcome his recent efforts aimed at reviving the talks and appreciate the contribution of Jordan to that end. We put a lot of hope in the “Amman track” and the ongoing efforts to facilitate the formation of a ceasefire committee with a view to the resumption of UN-sponsored peace talks in the coming months.

Without meaningful dialogue the results may be disastrous. The only party that would benefit from this would be terrorist groups that are increasingly active in Yemen. It is increasingly disconcerting to see Al-Qaida on the Arabian Peninsula continuing to demonstrate a sustained ability to expand its operational support base in Yemen and exploit deep division lines in the war-torn Yemeni society.