Checked Against Delivery
Let me start by thanking Special Envoy Grundberg and Under Secretary General Fletcher for their briefings.
I will make four points.
First,
Denmark is deeply alarmed by the recent escalation in and around Yemen. We condemn in the strongest terms the Houthi attacks on commercial vessels in the Red Sea, as well as those against Saudi Arabia and several Yemeni provinces.
These are unprovoked attacks. The Houthis’ actions undermine efforts to secure peace in Yemen and risk to further destabilise the wider region. Denmark also condemns Iran’s support to proxies, including to the Houthis.
As mentioned by Special Envoy Grundberg, further hostilities also bring serious economic and humanitarian consequences to the people of Yemen and across the region.
We call for de-escalation and the use of all existing channels of dialogue to reduce tensions.
Second,
We deplore the resumption of Houthi attacks against commercial shipping in the Red Sea and denounce the attack that caused the death of several seafarers earlier this week.
Maritime security and freedom of navigation in the Red Sea must be fully restored in line with international law and relevant Security Council resolutions.
Denmark remains committed to protecting the freedom of navigation in one of the world’s most critical waterways to the benefit of global trade and development.
Third,
This military escalation is deepening the humanitarian suffering of the Yemeni people. Food insecure is acute, as Under Secretary General Fletcher has highlighted, with over 53 percent of Yemenis experiencing severe food insecurity. Families are forced to make impossible choices as hunger deepens and resilience erodes.
We call for urgent steps to address humanitarian needs and help to close the funding gap in Yemen’s Humanitarian Response Plans. Beyond funding concerns, continued restrictions on movement and safety concerns have left many Yemenis districts uncovered by active humanitarian programming. Denmark reiterates its urgent call for safe and unhindered humanitarian access.
We reiterate our condemnation of Houthi detentions of staff from the UN, NGOs, civil society and diplomatic missions and call for their immediate and unconditional release.
Fourth and finally,
Denmark believes that peaceful and prosperous societies require genuine inclusion and Yemen is no exception. Broad representation from diverse Yemeni factions – including civil society, women, youth, and all political constituencies – is essential to achieve sustainable peace.
We call for a Yemeni-led and truly inclusive peace process that must build on the meaningful participation of all Yemenis, as also highlighted by Special Envoy Grundberg, and we express our full support to his efforts.
We therefore deeply regret - and we are genuinely surprised - to have experienced strong opposition, to a civil society briefer today, Tawakkol Karman, who we are certain would have offered a valuable perspective on how to advance the prospects of an inclusive political settlement.
This requires revitalizing the peace process, justice and accountability for crimes committed during the conflict, and empowering women and youth as core decision makers.
