August 15, 2022
Thank you, Mr. President. I thank UN Special Envoy Hans Grundberg for his briefing and commend him for his efforts in securing the renewal of the truce for an additional two months. I also thank Ms. Ghada Mudawi from the UN Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs for her briefing on the humanitarian situation in Yemen.
- We welcome the renewal of truce, which indeed comes as a relief to the people of Yemen, whose lives have been devastated by the seven-year-old conflict. The most tangible benefit of the truce is the significant reduction in the loss of innocent human lives due to an overall reduction in violence. The extended truce notwithstanding, recent months have witnessed some violations of the truce agreement, including the 24 July attack in Taiz that resulted in deaths and injuries to children. We condemn such attacks and urge all parties to adhere to the truce agreement.
- We are also concerned by the limited progress in the opening of roads in Taiz and other governorates. An understanding on opening roads through Taiz, which was also part of the Stockholm agreement, largely remains the unimplemented provision of the truce agreement. The people of Taiz have suffered immensely from the blockade of roads and they deserve to benefit from the current truce. Progress in opening of roads is an urgent humanitarian imperative. Also, the lopsided implementation of the truce agreement does not augur well for its long-term sustainability.
- Further, continued progress on the other provisions of the truce agreement is important. These should be further expanded, as they benefit the people of Yemen. Mutually acceptable solutions to issues related to their implementation such as the travel documents and proper use of fuel shipment revenues should be arrived at quickly.
Mr. President,
- It is also unfortunate that the current truce has not brought the expected humanitarian relief to many Yemenis, who are in dire need of such support. Actual delivery of aid had to be scaled down due to a lack of funds for the aid operations and the global inflation in commodity prices. We hope that with the increased funding received in recent weeks, the situation would be reversed soon.
- As a long-standing friend of Yemen, India has always prioritized the humanitarian needs of Yemen. India has extended humanitarian assistance to Yemen through the supply of medicines and food commodities in the past. Our hospitals have received thousands of Yemenis for medical treatment, even during the COVID pandemic. India has also exported more than 250,000 tons of wheat to Yemen, since April this year, to mitigate the adverse impact of supply changes in the global commodity markets on Yemen. We remain committed to do so in future as well.
- However, humanitarian aid alone will not solve the current crisis in Yemen. Urgent international support is also required to stabilize Yemen’s economy and prevent the deterioration of basic services.
- The truce, so far, has provided the longest period of relative calm in Yemen since the eruption of the conflict. This must be prolonged, consolidated and further expanded into a durable and lasting ceasefire. Such a ceasefire would build more confidence amongst the parties and provide a favourable environment for the political track.
- We have no doubt that only a robust and inclusive political solution, which meets the legitimate aspirations of all Yemenis, can end the conflict in Yemen. We urge the Yemeni parties to work towards such a solution and engage with the UN Special Envoy constructively in this regard.
I thank you.