Yemen Monitor/Newsroom:
France has strongly condemned the Houthis’ renewed attacks on commercial vessels in the Red Sea before the UN Security Council. These attacks have resulted in deaths and injuries among sailors, posing a serious threat to maritime security and regional stability.
Jérôme Bonnafont, France’s Permanent Representative to the UN, emphasized that these attacks, along with the Houthis’ ongoing attacks on Israel, must stop immediately. He called for the Council to unanimously condemn them.
The statement highlighted France’s continued participation in the European Union’s security and defense policy to protect maritime security in accordance with international law, in coordination with its international partners.
France also expressed deep concern over the escalating humanitarian crisis in Yemen, particularly in light of the latest Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) report, which warns of the risk of famine.
France urged the Houthis to remove obstacles preventing humanitarian aid from reaching 17 million Yemenis who are in urgent need of support.
The statement underscored the importance of protecting civilian infrastructure and ensuring the safety of the population. It stressed the need for the immediate release of arbitrarily detained humanitarian workers and for enhancing safe and immediate access for humanitarian aid.
Bonnafont pointed to two fundamental dimensions of the Yemeni conflict: the internal dimension, which involves the threat to the country’s unity due to the Houthis’ seizure of power and their obstruction of national reconciliation efforts, creating opportunities for extremist groups like Al-Qaeda and ISIS. The second is the regional dimension, where the Houthis, with Iranian support, play a role in regional conflicts against their neighbors, Israel, and countries concerned with navigation in the Red Sea.
The statement stressed the necessity of supporting UN-led mediation efforts and humanitarian workers. It welcomed the ceasefire announcement between Israel and Iran, which France described as an opportunity to rebuild trust and for the Houthis to return to negotiations under the special envoy’s auspices.
France concluded by reaffirming that a comprehensive political solution is the only way to end the conflict in Yemen. It called for the effective participation of women and youth in public life and reiterated its full commitment to Yemen’s unity and stability, as well as to regional security.
