15.09.2025 Statement by Denmark at the UNSC briefing on Yemen
Checked Against Delivery
Thank you, Mr. President,
And I also thank Special Envoy Grundberg and Under Secretary-General Fletcher for their briefings. And I welcome the participation of the permanent representative of Yemen in our meeting today.
Mr. President,
For the past month, we have seen an alarming escalation in the region and in Yemen, where the Houthis’ actions continue to threaten the well-being of the Yemeni people.
Allow me to raise three points,
First, Denmark strongly condemns the Houthis’ arbitrary detentions of 19 UN personnel on August 31. We underline that UN personnel must never be targeted or detained while carrying out their duties. We strongly urge the Houthis to comply with their international law obligations. We also condemn the forced entry into the premises of the UN and the seizure of UN property.
Both new and previous arbitrary detentions of personnel from the UN, international- and national civil society organizations, and diplomatic missions are entirely unacceptable. We call for their immediate and unconditional release.
We recall that the work of UN personnel is carried out in accordance with the humanitarian principles of humanity, impartiality, neutrality and independence. Attempts to undermine these principles impede the UN’s ability to deliver assistance and advance peace in Yemen.
We extend our full support to the UN in taking the necessary precautions to ensure staff safety and to bring their detained colleagues home. The security of UN personnel must always be prioritised.
Mr. President, my second point,
The new wave of detentions comes at a time when the humanitarian situation is becoming even more dire.
Since August, deadly floodings have displaced tens of thousands of Yemenis. This in turn has worsened public health risks such as cholera at a time when health facilities are already overwhelmed.
As we heard from USG Fletcher, food insecurity is also soaring at an alarming pace, with some pockets of the population now likely to face catastrophic levels of food insecurity, according to the IPC.
Along with restrictions on the delivery of aid, funding shortfalls severely restrict the humanitarian community’s ability to deliver. We commend the UN and its partners for their efforts to stay and deliver despite these challenging circumstances.
For our part, Denmark will continue to contribute to addressing the dire humanitarian crisis in Yemen, having donated more than 215 million USD in humanitarian response since the beginning of the conflict. We call on the international community to help alleviate the suffering of the civilian population
Mr. President, my final point,
These developments are taking place in a context of a deeply concerning regional escalation.
We condemn the Houthis’ continuous attacks on Israel and call on all sides to de-escalate and to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure in line with their obligations under international humanitarian law.
In the same vein, the Houthis continued attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea must stop. Freedom of navigation must be ensured. Endangering the lives of civilian seafarers and threatening the marine environment is completely unacceptable.
Recent Houthi missile and drone attacks demonstrate the extent of external support for the Houthis in expanding their military capabilities.
The recent seizure of 750 tons of arms on its way to the Houthis underscores that violations of the arms embargo continue. Denmark stands ready to support initiatives that can strengthen enforcement of resolution 2216.
Mr. President, to conclude,
All parties must demonstrate renewed commitment to advance a political agreement that leads to a sustainable peace in Yemen.
Recent agreements on road openings and water management offer glimpses of hope, but such confidence building measures must translate into sustained political progress.
We fully support the UN Special Envoy in his efforts to steer the way towards a Yemeni-owned, Yemeni-led political solution to the conflict.
I thank you.