I thank Special Envoy Griffiths and Under-Secretary-General Lowcock for their briefings.
Estonia shares the deep concern about the continuing military escalation in Yemen, as it undermines the UN-led efforts to find a political settlement and aggravates the humanitarian crisis.
We call upon all parties to immediately de-escalate and put an end to the hostilities, including the Houthis’ assault on Marib and the cross-border attacks on the territory of Saudi Arabia. We also urge all parties to refrain from indiscriminate attacks against civilian objects, as they are a violation to international humanitarian law.
Due to the fighting, the need for humanitarian assistance is rapidly increasing in several areas, as there are thousands of newly displaced families, especially in the Marib Governorate. 5 million people across the country are already on the verge of famine and there is a sharp increase in COVID-19 cases while only half of the country’s health facilities are functioning.
In this context, we welcome the recent decision of the Yemeni Government to approve the entry of four fuel ships to the port of Hodeidah, as well as the decision of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to grant 422 million US dollars’ worth of fuel to the government of Yemen.
However, in order to improve the severe humanitarian situation, additional steps are needed, including a sustainable solution for removing obstacles from the import of fuel and commercial items.
We also call on all parties to protect civilians, particularly those in the most vulnerable situations, including internally displaced people, women and girls. We are concerned about the reports of systematic repression of journalists, sexual violence, and the recruitment and use of children in armed conflict. The parties must cease these violations immediately and perpetrators must be held to account.
We welcome the tireless diplomatic efforts made to end the war, including those by the Special Envoy Griffiths, United States Special Envoy Lenderking, the Sultanate of Oman and the group of P5 plus 4 who met at the beginning of this week. We also welcome the recent announcement by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on ways to end the crisis.
We encourage all parties to engage with the Special Envoy and agree on a ceasefire immediately, in order to start an inclusive political process, with the participation of women and youth.