Security Council Press Statement on Yemen

The following Security Council press statement was issued today by Council President Karel Jan Gustaaf van Oosterom (Netherlands):

The members of the Security Council condemned in the strongest possible terms the multiple Houthi missile attacks, including the use of ballistic missiles, targeting several cities of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, including its capital Riyadh, on 25 March 2018, which threatened civilian areas and resulted in at least one fatality.  The members of the Security Council underlined that such attacks pose a serious national security threat to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia as well as a wider threat to regional security.  The members of the Council also expressed alarm at the stated intention of the Houthis to continue these attacks against Saudi Arabia, as well as to launch additional attacks against other States in the region.

The members of the Security Council called on all Member States to fully implement all aspects of the arms embargo as required by the relevant Security Council resolutions, including resolution 2216 (2015), and in that regard expressed their grave concern at the reports of continuing violations of the arms embargo.

The members of the Security Council expressed their grave concern at the continued deterioration of the humanitarian situation in Yemen and the devastating humanitarian impact of the conflict on civilians, and called on all parties to the conflict to allow and facilitate safe, rapid and unhindered humanitarian access.

The members of the Security Council expressed grave distress at the level of violence in Yemen.  The members of the Security Council called upon all parties to comply with international humanitarian law.

The members of the Security Council reiterated the need for all parties to return to dialogue as the only means of delivering a negotiated political settlement and engage constructively with the Special Envoy of the Secretary‑General for Yemen, Martin Griffiths, with a view towards swiftly reaching a final and comprehensive agreement to end the conflict and address the ongoing humanitarian crisis.