National Statement at the UN Security Council meeting on Yemen

Delivered by the Deputy Permanent Representative of Estonia to the UN Mr. Gert Auväärt

I would like to thank Special Envoy Griffiths and Under-Secretary-General Lowcock for their briefings. I also thank Mrs Wafa Alsaidy and Ms Raja Almasabi for their briefings.

Estonia fully supports the efforts of Special Envoy Griffiths towards reaching an agreement on a nationwide ceasefire, humanitarian and economic measures and the resumption of the political process.

It is unacceptable to seek further territorial gains in the expense of the people of Yemen who are suffering due to the increasingly grave humanitarian crisis, as we could just hear from the briefings of Mrs Alsaidy and Ms Almasabi. We urge all parties to listen to the call of the Yemeni civil society to cease hostilities and to agree on measures to alleviate the suffering of the Yemenis without further delay. This is necessary for the start of the next phase of the comprehensive political process, which is the only way to find sustainable peace.

Despite the important progress made towards this agreement, it is deeply worrying that the fierce fighting continues, resulting in an ever growing number of civilian casualties and the exacerbation of the humanitarian crisis.

We strongly condemn the recent air strikes that caused multiple civilian casualties, including children, who are bearing an increasingly heavy burden of the hostilities. We remind all parties of their obligation to adhere to international humanitarian law and to protect civilians, especially the vulnerable groups, such as women and children. We also condemn the continuous firing of ballistic missiles and drones towards civilian infrastructure in Saudi Arabia.

We are also deeply concerned about the alarming humanitarian situation in Yemen, which the COVID-19 pandemic and the dire economic situation have exacerbated.  We remind all parties, especially in northern Yemen, about the need to facilitate safe and unhindered access for humanitarian personnel. We also urge them to facilitate air travel of humanitarian staff, to lift commercial import restrictions and to find a solution to secure a regular import of fuel.

Regarding the SAFER oil tanker, we urge the Houthi authorities to take immediate concrete steps without preconditions in order to provide the UN mission access to the ship. There is not much time left for preventing a possible leakage or an explosion, which would have catastrophic consequences for the environment, as well as to the economy.