Under the guise of support for Hamas and opposition to Israel, Iranian-backed Houthi militants in Yemen continue to attack commercial shipping and disrupt global trade routes in the Red Sea. By doing so, they risk the economic improvement and humanitarian progress attained since the UN-brokered truce of April 2022.
Already the truce is unravelling, and Yemen’s civilians are paying the price. According to UNICEF and the World Food Programme, food insecurity rose by 11 percent since November 2023, and nearly half of all children under the age of five are experiencing stunting.
“Houthi threats to maritime security and commercial shipping sadly continue to demand our attention. The number of countries affected by this destabilizing behavior increases each day, and this has truly become a global challenge,” said Robert Wood, U.S. Alternative Representative for Special Political Affairs at the UN.
“Before the Houthis’ recent escalation, ordinary Yemenis were beginning to see a way back to stability through a durable ceasefire and an inclusive, UN-led Yemeni-Yemeni political process. The Houthis risk throwing this progress away.”
“And let me be clear: The Houthis’ actions do nothing to alleviate hardships facing the Yemeni people, much less help meet the needs of Palestinian civilians in Gaza,” said Ambassador Wood.
“In fact, Houthi propaganda now even suggests that they would continue these attacks, even after a ceasefire in Gaza. What’s more, these attacks make it increasingly difficult to deliver humanitarian assistance to other suffering people. … And so, we must condemn these attacks in the Red Sea for what they are: Part of a long-term strategy to project power and distract from domestic problems.”
“The United States wholeheartedly shares the Yemeni people’s aspirations for a better future: One that guarantees respect for their human rights and fundamental freedoms,” said Ambassador Wood.
“We continue to believe constructive engagement on the UN roadmap remains a better path, one that could hopefully lead to a durable end to the conflict, and address Yemeni calls for justice, accountability, and redress for human rights abuses and violations.”
“While there has been sustained and widespread international condemnation of the Houthis’ illegal and reckless attacks, we cannot afford to become complacent. This condemnation must continue, and the chorus of voices must grow, as the Houthis continue to escalate attacks,” said Ambassador Wood. “It is vital we speak with one voice in rejecting Houthi efforts to interfere with the exercise of navigational rights and freedoms in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.”
