Denouncing ongoing Houthi attacks in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, Pakistan has warned that the maritime strikes —including one against the commercial vessel Tihamah that claimed the lives of three Pakistani nationals — jeopardize regional stability and the uninterrupted flow of global commerce.
Pakistan slams Houthi strikes that killed its seafarers, warns maritime attacks threaten regional peace
By iftikhar Ali
UNITED NATIONS, Aug 14 (APP): Denouncing ongoing Houthi attacks in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, Pakistan has warned that the maritime strikes —including one against the commercial vessel Tihamah that claimed the lives of three Pakistani nationals — jeopardize regional stability and the uninterrupted flow of global commerce.
“The safety and security of international maritime shipping and protection of seafarers must be respected in accordance with international law,” Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, permanent representative of Pakistan to the United Nations, told the UN Security Council on Thursday during a debate on the deteriorating situation in Yemen.
“We are particularly concerned by recent Houthi attacks and reported civilian casualties in Al Hudaydah, Marib, Hadramout and elsewhere,” the Pakistani envoy said, adding, “Escalation would only inflict more suffering on the Yemeni people and further narrow the space for diplomacy.”
Pakistan, he said, condemns “in the strongest terms” the Houthi missile and drone attacks, and threats against Saudi Arabia, saying such actions pose a grave threat to regional peace and stability.
“Pakistan stands in solidarity with Saudi Arabia and reaffirms its unwavering support for the Kingdom’s sovereignty, territorial integrity and peace and prosperity.”
On August 7, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey entered into a defence agreement, under which they commit to treating an assault on any member state as an attack against the entire coalition.
At the same time, Ambassador Asim Ahmad underscored the need for de-escalation and resumption of a credible political process to resolve the Yemeni conflict.
He urges all parties to halt actions that could trigger further military escalation, and to engage in good faith negotiations under the auspices of the United Nations.
“A Yemeni-led and Yemeni-owned political process, facilitated by the UN, grounded in full respect for Yemen’s unity, sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity remains the only valuable path towards a comprehensive and sustainable settlement.”
And “Yemen’s acute humanitarian needs must remain at the forefront of the Council’s attention,” the Pakistani envoy stressed, which would be further aggravated by renewed fighting, economic disruption and food insecurity.
“The international community must urgently address funding shortfalls,” he emphasized.
At the outset, Hans Grundberg, Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Yemen, said that the country faces a more serious risk of return to large-scale conflict than at any point since the 2022 UN-mediated truce.
Military activity along the country’s frontline – including recent attacks by the Houthis – is intensifying, Grundbergs aid. Regional trade and energy flows are already under extreme pressure amid the Strait of Hormuz crisis.
“The attacks on commercial vessels in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden risk deepening Yemen’s entanglement with the wider regional confrontation,” he said.
Mounting tensions are now imperiling a hard-earned truce, originally mediated with United Nations support in April 2022 and renewed several times since, which had dramatically reduced violence in Yemen and improved the country’s humanitarian situation.
“I am convinced that a negotiated off-ramp remains possible,” he stressed, outlining his intensive engagement in recent weeks with the Yemeni parties to reverse the political and economic escalation and work towards a robust ceasefire.
Sustained engagement with the UN to consolidate gains and and relaunch an inclusive, Yemeni-owned political process is crucial.
“Four years of calm can be lost in a few weeks of escalation,” he said. “I am asking every [Council] member with influence over the parties to use it to steer Yemen away from the battlefield and back to the negotiating table.”
On his part, Tom Fletcher, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, told the 15-member Council that the trajectory of the humanitarian crisis remains unchanged.
“More than a decade into this conflict, millions of Yemenis face impossible, daily choices: food or medicine, education or labor, survival or displacement,” he said.
The toll on women and girls is particularly alarming: nearly 11 million require humanitarian support, Fletcher said.
Over half the population is experiencing acute food insecurity, and 6 million people — the highest number globally — face “emergency” levels of deprivation, bordering on famine — driven by regional tensions inflating prices, economic decline eroding livelihoods and a critical shortfall in humanitarian funding, it was pointed out.
“We know aid saves lives,” he said. Yet access remains a significant hurdle for aid workers and the humanitarian appeal is just barely 20 per cent funded.
An initial $10 million from the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) has been allocated for food security, “but this is a stopgap, not a solution”.
Fletcher asked donors to provide flexible, predictable funding now; all parties to protect civilians and ensure principled humanitarian action; and the Council to “maintain your focus”.
“Your unity and advocacy are essential to prevent further suffering and to secure space for genuine progress,” he said.
“The people of Yemen have shown extraordinary resilience, but resilience is not an excuse for the world to demand they endure more. They deserve dignity, opportunity, and hope,” he stressed.
