Yemen Deserves Hope And Dignity, Security Council Hears
For over a decade, Yemen has endured conflict between Houthi rebels and government forces. Millions of lives and livelihoods remain at risk, and the conflict shows no sign of ending.
' The appetite for a military escalation remains,' Hans Grundberg, UN Special Envoy for Yemen, told ambassadors.
While violence remains an immediate threat, he noted that the economy has now become the 'most active frontline' of the conflict: the national currency in free fall and purchasing power rapidly declining, poverty is a daily threat.
' The little money people do have in their pockets is either falling in value or literally falling apart,' he said.
Currently, 17 million people face food insecurity – a number that could rise to 18 million by September without swift and expanded humanitarian aid. More than one million children under the age of five are suffering from life-threatening malnutrition, putting them at risk of permanent physical and cognitive harm.
'We haven't seen this level of deprivation since before the UN-brokered truce in early 2022,' said Tom Fletcher, UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs.
Regional instability deepens the crisis
Broader instability in the Middle East has further worsened Yemen's situation, Mr. Grundberg said, pointing to recent attacks by Ansar Allah (as the Houthi rebels are formally called) on commercial ships in the Red Sea and retaliatory strikes by Israel on key Yemeni infrastructure, including ports and a power station.
' Yemen must not be drawn deeper into the regional crisis that threatens to unravel the already extremely fragile situation in the country. The stakes for Yemen are simply too high,' he said.
Nevertheless, he noted that the ceasefire between Iran and Israel did spark hope that momentum for negotiations in Yemen might resume.
Still, he stressed that Yemen's peace process must solely depend on regional dynamics.
'Yemen must advance regardless, moving from simply managing shocks and volatility to developing practical steps that lay the groundwork for lasting solutions,' he said.
Negotiations must prevail
Without meaningful peace negotiations, Yemen's humanitarian crisis will only deepen, Mr. Grundberg warned.
' A military solution remains a dangerous solution that risks deepening Yemen's suffering,' he said.
He highlighted recent progress in Taiz governorate, where both parties agreed to jointly manage water supplies – a move that will provide safe drinking water to over 600,000 people.
This agreement also promotes sustainable water access, reducing reliance on humanitarian aid.
'While negotiations may not be easy, they offer the best hope for addressing, in a sustainable and long-term manner, the complexity of the conflict,' Mr. Grundberg said.
Call for international support
Mr. Grundberg called on the Security Council to continue prioritizing Yemen.
He also reiterated UN calls for all detained humanitarians, including UN staff, and called on donors to ensure sufficient funding to sustain aid organizations on the ground.
' Yemen's future depends on our collective resolve to shield it from further suffering and to give its people the hope and dignity they so deeply deserve,' Mr. Grundberg said.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Scoop
13 hours ago
- Scoop
UN Experts Urge Thailand To Drop Charges Against Pimsiri Petchnamrob And Other Pro-democracy Rights Defenders
GENEVA (11 July 2025) – UN experts* today expressed grave concern over ongoing judicial proceedings against Thai woman human rights defender Pimsiri Petchnamrob, calling on the Government to drop charges against her and other human rights defenders who participated in pro-democracy protests. ' Lèse-majesté laws, with their vague formulation and severe penalties, have no place in a democracy. Their widespread and punitive use to silence dissent, suppress public debate, and intimidate human rights defenders, political opponents, civil society activists, journalists, and ordinary citizens violates Thailand's international human rights obligations,' the experts said. 'We urge authorities to drop the charges against Petchnamrob and all others facing criminal prosecution on similar grounds immediately.' In November 2021, Pimsiri Petchnamrob wasindictedunder a total of ten charges, including under Section 112 (lèse-majesté), Section 116 (sedition), and Section 215 (participation in an illegal assembly) of the Criminal Code, for delivering a speech during a peaceful pro-democracy protest in November 2020. Petchnamrob is among at least five human rights defenders who were indicted for delivering speeches at the same protest. Her trial, which began in June 2025, is ongoing before the Criminal Court on Ratchadaphisek Road, with two additional hearings scheduled in August, followed by the delivery of a judgment. The experts cited findings from a recent country visit report by the Working Group on discrimination against women and girls. The report noted that at least 470 women human rights defenders have been arrested and prosecuted under Sections 112 and 116 since 2020. 'These punitive charges often result in financial hardship, deteriorating health and significant challenges around family care,' they said. 'We reiterate our call to the Government of Thailand to revise and repeal lèse-majesté laws, which have a broad chilling effect on the exercise of rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly, leading to a climate of fear and self-censorship,' the experts said. 'Public figures, including the highest political authorities, are legitimately subject to criticism.' 'Thailand must stop criminalising individuals who carry out the critical work of defending civic space and human rights,' they said. The experts have been in contact with the Government of Thailand on these matters, including to express concerns about prosecutions under Section 112 of the Criminal Code. Note: *The experts: Laura Nyirinkindi (Chair), Claudia Flores (Vice-Chair), Dorothy Estrada Tanck, Ivana Krstić, and Haina Lu, Working Group on discrimination against women and girls; Irene Khan, Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression; Gina Romero, Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association; Mary Lawlor, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders Special Rapporteurs/Independent Experts/Working Groups are independent human rights experts appointed by the United Nations Human Rights Council. Together, these experts are referred to as the Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council. Special Procedures experts work on a voluntary basis; they are not UN staff and do not receive a salary for their work. While the UN Human Rights office acts as the secretariat for Special Procedures, the experts serve in their individual capacity and are independent fromany government or organization, including OHCHR and the UN. Any views or opinions presented are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of the UN or OHCHR.
Scoop
13 hours ago
- Scoop
Spreading Gang Violence Poses Major Risk To Haiti And Caribbean Sub-region, UN Human Rights Report Warns
GENEVA/PORT-AU-PRINCE (11 July 2025) – Escalating gang violence outside Port-au-Prince has claimed over 1,000 lives and forced hundreds of thousands to flee since October 2024, threatening to destabilise not only Haiti but also other countries in the Caribbean, a UN human rights report warned today. The report, by the United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti (BINUH) and the UN Human Rights Office, details the evolution of violent gang incidents since October 2024 up to June 2025. It also shows how violence increased sharply in recent months, especially in the Lower Artibonite and Centre departments, as gangs continue to extend their influence along key routes in the north and centre of the country, and towards the Dominican Republic. 'Human rights abuses outside Port-au-Prince are intensifying in areas of the country where the presence of the State is extremely limited. The international community must strengthen its support to the authorities, who bear the primary responsibility for protecting the Haitian population,' said Ulrika Richardson, ad interim Head of BINUH and UN Resident Coordinator. Between 1 October 2024 and 30 June 2025, at least 1,018 people were killed, 213 others injured and 620 abducted in Artibonite and Centre, as well as in Ganthier and Fonds Parisien, west of the Port-au-Prince metropolitan area, the report says. Over the same period, the total number of killings across Haiti was 4,864.* The report notes that the mass killing in Pont Sondé (Lower Artibonite) in October 2024, which left over 100 people dead, marked a major turning point in the cycle of violence between gangs and the so-called 'self-defence' groups. Several other mass killings followed, causing mass displacement, including in the town of Mirebalais (Centre department) which earlier this year saw all its 100,000 residents flee. The Haitian authorities have deployed specialised police units, supported by the Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission, to some extent slowing the gangs' advances. Ultimately, however, given their lack of resources, they have been unable to reassert control over the affected areas. Against this backdrop, human rights abuses by self-defence groups have increased. Summary executions involving Haitian security forces have also been committed against individuals accused of supporting gangs, the report says. 'Caught in the middle of this unending horror story are the Haitian people, who are at the mercy of horrific violence by gangs and exposed to human rights violations from the security forces and abuses by the so-called 'self-defence' groups,' said UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk. 'The human rights violations and abuses that we have documented are further evidence of why Haiti and the international community urgently need to step up to end the violence,' he added. The expansion of gang territorial control poses a major risk of spreading violence and increasing transnational trafficking in arms and people, the report says. Among its recommendations, it calls on the Haitian authorities to ensure police have the necessary resources to tackle the gangs, in full respect of international human rights law. It calls for specialised judicial units to combat corruption and mass crimes, including sexual violence, to be established as soon as possible. The report also calls on the international community to maintain BINUH's full operational capacity so that the office can continue to advise and support the Haitian government in its efforts to strengthen good governance and ensure the respect for, and promotion of, human rights. The strengthening of MSS mission and the full implementation of the arms embargo will be equally essential to restore security and the rule of law in Haiti. *Between 1 January 2025 and 30 June at least 3,141 people were killed.
Scoop
14 hours ago
- Scoop
‘An Unending Horror Story': Gangs And Human Rights Abuses Expand In Haiti
Left vulnerable, communities then formed self-defence groups and Haitian security forces reinforced their operations and made small gains only to be rebuffed again by gangs. And at all stages of this cycle, human rights violations are being committed against civilians, according to a report released on Friday by the UN office in Haiti (BINUH) and the UN human rights office (OHCHR). 'Caught in the middle of this unending horror story are the Haitian people, who are at the mercy of horrific violence by gangs and exposed to human rights violations from the security forces and abuses by the so-called 'self-defence' groups,' said Volker Türk, High Commissioner for Human Rights. The report also warned about 'early signs of criminal governance' in the Centre Department where gangs are beginning to consolidate their gains and act as a de facto governing authority. Four years of horror Since 2021 and the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse, gang violence has dominated the capital Port-au-Prince which is now 85 per cent controlled by gangs, says the UN. Over 1.3 million Haitians have been displaced because of this violence, representing the largest displacement due to political upheaval in Haitian history. Food insecurity among displaced Haitians is rampant, with Haiti one of five countries worldwide which is experiencing famine-like conditions. As of March 2025, the violence has also expanded into previously untouched areas of the country, specifically the Artibonite and Centre Departments where 92,000 and 147,000 people have been displaced respectively. The report also noted that recently, gangs have begun to expand beyond central Haiti towards the border of the Dominican Republic, with the apparent goal of controlling key roads through which much of the illegal weapons trafficking is happening. 'The expansion of gang territorial control poses a major risk of spreading violence and increasing transnational trafficking in arms and people,' said Ravina Shamdasani, a UNHCR spokesperson at a briefing in Geneva. Human rights endangered Between October 2024 and June 2025, 4,864 people in Haiti have been killed by gang violence. At least hundreds more have been injured, kidnapped, raped and trafficked. 'Human rights abuses outside Port-au-Prince are intensifying in areas of the country where the presence of the State is extremely limited,' said Ulrika Richardson, interim Head of BINUH and UN Resident Coordinator. While many of these human rights violations – including the denial of the right to life and physical integrity, sexual violence and forced displacement — are being perpetrated by organised gangs, there are also documented human rights abuses at the hands of Haitian authorities. Specifically, between October 2024 and June 2025, there were 19 extrajudicial executions by security forces in the Artibonite and Centre Departments – 17 of them in Artibonite. Self-defence groups, which are increasingly prevalent as a result of inadequate State security, have also committed human rights violations, often in the form of lynchings of suspected gang members. 'The human rights violations and abuses that we have documented are further evidence of why Haiti and the international community urgently need to step up to end the violence,' Mr. Türk said. At this point, there have been no documented human rights abuses committed by the Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission authorised by the United Nations and funded and staffed largely by Kenya. No accountability The Haitian National Police and MSS have launched multiple operations to regain territory lost to the gangs. While some have been briefly successful, the operations have been unable to maintain a lasting presence or protect local communities, according to the report. In fact, the report suggests that in the Centre, the situation is trending in the opposite direction with gangs consolidating territorial gains outside the capital and beginning to institute forms of criminal governance. As a result of this persistent insecurity, judicial operations are virtually at a standstill in the Centre and Artibonite Departments. 'The international community must strengthen its support to the authorities, who bear the primary responsibility for protecting the Haitian population,' said Ms. Richardson.
