UN extends Yemen monitoring as Houthi attacks persist in Red Sea
Shafaq News/ The UN Security Council on Thursday extended a mandate requiring UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to report monthly on attacks by Yemen's Houthi rebels on vessels in the Red Sea.
The resolution, which passed with three abstentions from Russia, China, and Algeria, urges an immediate end to the violence.
The resolution reiterates the council's demand that the Houthis cease all attacks on merchant ships and release a Japanese-operated vessel seized in November 2023. The Houthi group, Ansarallah, said their attacks target ships linked to Israel, the US, and the UK, in solidarity with Palestinians amid the war in Gaza. More than 60 ships have been attacked since October 7, forcing shipping companies to take longer routes to avoid the Red Sea.
The US deputy ambassador to the UN, Robert Wood, condemned the continued attacks on ships and the countries supplying weapons to the Houthis. He called for a global response to the threat to navigational rights in the Red Sea.
Russia, while abstaining from the vote, expressed support for unimpeded Red Sea shipping but criticized the US-Japanese resolution's application of international law. Russia's deputy UN ambassador, Anna Evstigneeva, called for an end to both Houthi attacks and retaliatory strikes, urging a political and diplomatic solution to reduce tensions. She said that normalcy in the Red Sea requires a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.
China also abstained from the vote, expressing concern over unilateral actions by some states and the misuse of international law. Beijing's deputy ambassador, Geng Shuang, urged all parties to avoid misinterpretations and misuses of international law and council resolutions.
