Yemen Needs 'Politics Rather Than Force', Special Envoy Tells Security Council, Urging Inclusive Dialogue

United Nations officials today urged an inclusive political process for Yemen, warned that millions of people are being left without life-saving aid and demanded the release of detained UN and relief personnel.

"Durable progress requires both Yemeni willingness and concerted and united support of the region," Hans Grundberg, Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Yemen, told the 15-member Security Council.

He shared that he has been active in his engagements with stakeholders and has held in-depth discussions in Cairo, Muscat and Riyadh with Yemeni actors, regional partners and the wider international community to support a political way forward. "The future of the South cannot be determined by any single actor or by force," but must be shaped by Yemenis, reflecting "the true diversity of southern perspectives", he went on.

He welcomed the President of Yemen's initiative - to be hosted by Saudi Arabia - to convene a dialogue with a range of southern actors, saying it offers an opportunity to begin addressing the South through political engagement.

"Instability is felt first in the economy," he warned, through prices that rise overnight, delayed salaries and basic services breaking down. Mr. Grundberg further cautioned that even short-lived political or security shocks can trigger currency pressure, widen fiscal gaps and stall reforms. The south of Yemen is bound up with core questions about the future shape of the State, he said, noting that progress depends on all parties refraining from escalatory actions and rhetoric and remaining open to engagement under UN auspices.

He pointed to last month's Muscat talks as proof that political will can still deliver. At those talks, the parties agreed on the next phase of conflict-related detainee releases, sending an important signal and renewed hope to families, while noting more work remains to finalize implementation.

Expressing deep concern that UN and other personnel remain held in Sana'a, Mr. Grundberg also said that the Houthis have detained additional personnel. He warned that these steps undermine the ability of the United Nations to operate and ultimately harm the Yemeni population. He called for the immediate release of all detained UN and other staff and urged regional and international actors to use their influence, stressing that Yemen needs "politics rather than force" and institutions rather than fragmentation.

Yemen Crisis Worsening as Funding Lags, Leaving 'Millions' without Aid

"As we begin 2026, Yemen's humanitarian crisis has further deteriorated," said Ramesh Rajasingham, Director, Humanitarian Sector Division, Head and Representative of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in Geneva, reporting that needs are rising, access is contracting and funding has not kept pace.

"The result is that millions of Yemenis are not receiving the aid they need to survive," he warned, adding: "Where conditions have allowed, our partners continue to deliver. […] But when access is obstructed and funding falls away, those gains are quickly reversed."

He reported that more than 18 million people - half of Yemen's population - will face acute food insecurity in the coming month, with conditions worsening compared with 2025. Women and girls are disproportionately affected, while nearly half of children under five are acutely malnourished. Severe funding shortfalls have forced the closure of thousands of nutrition programmes, leaving millions without access to essential services.

Yemen's health system is also nearing collapse, with hundreds of health facilities closed and many more at risk due to funding cuts. Vaccination coverage remains dangerously low, exposing children to preventable diseases, such as measles, polio and cholera. Despite these constraints, humanitarian partners continue life-saving work where possible, supporting health facilities, responding to disease outbreaks and delivering vaccinations to millions of children across the country.

In closing, he urged the Security Council to press for the immediate release of all detained UN and humanitarian personnel, substantially increase funding for Yemen's worsening crisis, and preserve the 15-member organ's unity by remaining pragmatic, patient and firm in upholding humanitarian principles.

Military Engagement Only Inflicts Further Harm

In the discussion that followed, Council members expressed concern over Yemen's recent developments. Latvia's delegate said that recent months have witnessed deeply troubling secessionist actions by the Southern Transitional Council. "Such moves risk further fragmentation [and] weaken already fragile State institutions," she warned.

The protracted situation in Yemen has long shown that military engagement only inflicts further harm, China's delegate said, while welcoming the new prison exchange agreement between Yemen's Government and the Houthis. He also emphasized that the situation in the Red Sea highlights the spillover effects of the war in Gaza. The Russian Federation's delegate called on "the responsible members of the international community" to assist Yemen as it surmounts the consequences of this conflict. He called on the Secretary-General to immediately shore up efforts to help complete work on the road map for peace. "There is no alternative to the preservation of the UN presence on the entire territory of Yemen," he added.

The representative of the United States urged Member States to follow her country's lead and "designate and sanction the Houthis as terrorist organizations". Iran and others continue to defy Council resolutions by supplying the Houthis with arms, related materiel and military logistical and intelligence support. "These actions should carry consequences," she said, including designation by the Committee established pursuant to resolution 2140 (2014) of those who fail to fully implement UN sanctions.

Condemnation for Arbitrary Detention of UN, Humanitarian Personnel

Many speakers strongly condemned the arbitrary detention of UN and humanitarian personnel, diplomatic staff and the unlawful seizure of UN premises and assets in areas under Houthi control. Pakistan's representative said that this move is "blatant disregard" for international law. Bahrain's speaker said that, given the unprecedented levels of food insecurity, "providing assistance under these difficult circumstances is a humanitarian duty".

Council members expressed deep concern over the continued deterioration of the humanitarian situation in the country. Panama's delegate said that civilians continue to bear the brunt of the conflict amid multiple armed actors, institutional fragmentation and economic collapse. Colombia's delegate expressed concern that the food crisis has reached alarming levels, made worse by floods that have destroyed essential infrastructure. "We call upon donors to prevent the crisis from growing into widespread famine," she stressed.

Denmark warned of what Yemeni people might resort to if widespread famine hits. "More parents in Yemen will be forced to make impossible choices: To sell off their properties and land today to feed their children tomorrow; to force their children to work instead of going to school; to marry off their youngest daughters, some even before they turn 15."

Speakers also called for a recommitment to dialogue. "Disunity in southern Yemen is in no one's interests and only undermines efforts towards lasting peace and prosperity for the Yemeni people," said the representative of the United Kingdom. He welcomed the Southern Dialogue Conference announced by the Yemen Government and hosted by Saudi Arabia. Somalia's delegate, Council President for January, speaking in his national capacity and also for the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Liberia, urged Yemeni parties to engage constructively in dialogue and to prioritize "the broader national interest of the Yemeni people over short-term political calculations".

"The unacceptable conduct of the Houthis impedes any progress on peace," France's delegate added, urging all Yemeni actors to engage in good faith in the resumption of the UN-led peace process. "We will continue and further our commitment to uphold maritime security and the freedom of navigation alongside our European and international partners," he also said.

States Warn Yemen Fighting Threatens National Security

Other speakers also noted the importance of ensuring maritime security, with Greece's delegate emphasizing that the Red Sea is a vital waterway for both the region and the world. She warned that the Houthis continue to pose a serious and destabilizing threat, calling on all relevant stakeholders to work collectively to establish credible security guarantees and measures.

Regional countries described how the fighting in Yemen was threatening their national security. The representative of Saudi Arabia said the Southern Transitional Council's military operations on Yemen's southern border contravene the principles of the Coalition supporting Yemen's legitimacy. Any attempt to threaten Saudi Arabia's national security is "a red line" and will be met with necessary measures. For its part, Saudi Arabia has begun preparations for an inclusive conference in Riyadh to bring together all southern stakeholders for dialogue.

The representative of the United Arab Emirates recalled how, since 2015, his Government has made important contributions to the stability of Yemen - liberating Aden, removing Al-Qaida from Mukalla, securing Yemen's western coast and defending Marib. "This was achieved at significant cost to my country - some of our brave soldiers made the ultimate sacrifice and the Houthis carried out a deadly terrorist attack on our soil," he said.

'Houthi Militias Remain Yemeni People's Primary Enemy'

Yemen's speaker framed the current moment as "a different moment in Yemen's modern history", saying that the State is "regaining sovereign decision-making and unity of its security and military command" after years of fragmentation. He highlighted wide-ranging national operations to take control of military camps across liberated governorates, stressing it was carried out to the highest professional and legal standards and consistent with international humanitarian law.

"The Houthi terrorist militias remain the Yemeni people's primary enemy," he said, blaming them for dismantling institutions, deepening the humanitarian crisis and threatening regional and international security. Yemen's delegate further warned that any peace track that ignores ending the Houthi coup, disarming these militias and restoring State institutions would only prolong the conflict and "create space for further chaos" and destabilizing wars.

Recent steps are not merely a security measure but necessary to end unregulated weapons and competing armed formations, he said, while pointing to courageous sovereign decisions by the Presidential Leadership Council, including a state of emergency and efforts to ensure clarity of roles and unity of command. He said these are connected to commitments to human rights and the rule of law, support for detainee talks, readiness to facilitate the release of detained UN and humanitarian personnel, and backing for an inclusive South-South dialogue. "Peace in Yemen remains possible," he concluded.

Complete Live Blog coverage of today's meeting can be found here.