Sana'a - New York Europe and Arabs
The members of the UN Security Council strongly condemned the tragic death of Mr. Ahmed, a member of the World Food Programme team, on 10 February while he was being held by the Houthis, and expressed their deepest condolences to his family and to the United Nations.
The members of the Council strongly condemned - in a press statement - the continued detention by the Houthis of staff of the United Nations, national and international non-governmental organizations, civil society organizations and diplomatic missions.
They demanded the immediate and unconditional release of all detainees held by the Houthis and stressed that all threats against those providing humanitarian assistance are unacceptable.
They expressed their grave concern about the rapid and significant deterioration of the humanitarian situation in Yemen and stressed that ensuring unhindered access for humanitarian workers and staff of the United Nations and its associated bodies is essential. They reiterated their demand that the Houthis ensure respect for international humanitarian law and that assistance reaches civilians in need. According to the UN daily news bulletin, a copy of which we received this morning, Hans Grundberg, the UN Special Envoy to Yemen, said that the country stands at another critical juncture, warning that the choices made today will determine the course of its future. He stressed that reaching a sustainable solution to this conflict is still possible, but it requires commitment, courage and action from all parties. In his briefing to the Security Council meeting today on the situation in Yemen, Hans Grundberg called on the parties to engage in good faith and take the necessary steps to turn commitments into reality. The UN official said that while he seeks clarification regarding the US intention to list Ansar Allah as a foreign terrorist organization, "it is important that we protect efforts to advance the peace process." He stressed his commitment to performing his duties in accordance with the mandate issued by the Security Council to end the conflict in Yemen, noting that over the past month, he continued his active engagement with all regional and international actors, most recently in Washington.

He added: "My message to everyone remains that only a political settlement of the conflict will support the Yemenis in their aspirations for lasting peace. It is achievable, possible and practical."

Arbitrary arrests are a worrying development
On the other hand, Hans Grundberg, the UN Special Envoy to Yemen, described the fourth wave of arbitrary arrests of UN staff, carried out by the Ansar Allah group last month, as a very worrying development.
He said that these arrests are not only a violation of basic human rights, but also represent a direct threat to the UN's ability to provide humanitarian assistance to millions of people in need in Yemen. He added that what is most saddening is the death of a UN staff member working for the World Food Program named Ahmed while he was being held by the Ansar Allah group.
He joined the UN Secretary-General in calling for an immediate, transparent and comprehensive investigation into the circumstances of his death and for those responsible to be held accountable, expressing his sincere condolences to Ahmed’s family and the World Food Programme.
He also reiterated the Secretary-General’s strong condemnation of these arrests, calling for their immediate and unconditional release, along with the rest of the arbitrarily detained UN, NGO, civil society and diplomatic staff.
A remarkable but fragile development
The UN official pointed to what he described as a remarkable development in the Middle East region despite its fragility, with the ceasefire in Gaza, and he also pointed to the cessation of attacks by the Ansar Allah group on ships in the Red Sea and targets in Israel.
He said that this temporary decline in hostilities, along with the release of the crew of the Galaxy Leader ship, is a positive development, stressing the need to exploit this opportunity to consolidate further calm. “However, while we welcome this relative calm, we cannot ignore the major challenges that still face Yemen.”
Protecting the two humanitarian years is a must
United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Tom Fletcher began his remarks by calling on members of the Security Council to join him in expressing sadness and outrage at the death of a World Food Programme staff member while in the custody of the de facto authorities. He stressed the need to protect humanitarian workers.
He said the humanitarian appeal for Yemen, issued by the United Nations last month, paints a bleak picture, noting that some 20 million people are in need of humanitarian support. Millions are hungry and at risk of life-threatening diseases. Children and women constitute the majority of those in need.
According to a World Food Programme report issued in December, 64 per cent of the population in Yemen are unable to meet their minimum food needs. That number will rise again this month, driven by scarcity caused by the lean season and high food prices.
Five children die every hour
The Under-Secretary-General said that 3.2 million children in Yemen are out of school. Half of children under the age of five are acutely malnourished. 70% of children aged three to four have not received a full dose of vaccinations.
He warned that children under five are dying at a shocking rate from preventable or treatable conditions, with five children dying every hour in 2023.
He noted that humanitarian operations across Yemen were largely continuing, but the detention of more UN staff in January had led to difficult decisions about the UN system’s ability as a whole to deliver assistance to those in need.

“We simply cannot expect the UN and humanitarian partners to operate in the absence of guarantees that they will be able to return home safely every night,” he added.

He said that the UN had been forced to temporarily suspend its operations in Saada Governorate, indicating that the organization is taking all necessary steps to preserve its ability to resume operations once security guarantees are obtained. In this context, he stressed the full commitment to assisting millions of people in need.

Three steps required
Fletcher said that the situation in Yemen is dangerous, presenting three requests to the members of the Security Council, the first of which is the release of UN and civil society staff. “They are there on your behalf. Protect them, as international humanitarian law requires.”

Second, support us in restoring UN operations to full capacity, and in light of the current global funding challenges, give us the money to deliver services to those we serve.

Third, do not take actions that affect civilians’ access to basic services. Political and security decisions should not punish affected communities by restricting the flow of essential goods into Yemen.