The United Kingdom renewed its call for the internationally recognized terrorist group, the Houthis, to cease their attacks that threaten international shipping, citing recent reports that "demonstrate a link between the Houthis and Al-Shabaab in Somalia."

This statement was delivered by James Kariuki, the UK's Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations, during a UN Security Council meeting on Yemen on Thursday, August 15, 2024.

The statement condemned the Houthis' attacks, carried out in conjunction with other Iran-linked groups, as "reckless and escalatory," adding that "our recent reports have shown a link between the Houthis and Al-Shabaab in Somalia."

"We strongly condemn these actions as part of a wider pattern of destabilizing Houthi activity beyond Yemen's borders," the statement continued. "Relevant UN sanctions committees must coordinate closely to monitor and address this worrying trend."

The UK also highlighted the Houthi's closure of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights office in Sana'a, calling it "another demonstration of the group's leaders' willingness to inflict harm and suffering on the Yemeni people to advance their own ambitions."

The statement emphasized the "critical importance" of the Human Rights office for protecting civilians and reporting human rights violations. The closure, it said, follows the previous detention of UN staff, NGOs, and diplomatic missions in June, "another blatant assault that will severely hinder the delivery of vital aid to those most in need."

The UK statement also addressed the recent devastating floods in Yemen, expressing condolences to those affected. It called on the Security Council to ensure a safe and secure working environment for humanitarian organizations, urging the Houthis to release detainees unconditionally, vacate the Human Rights office, and return seized assets.

"The Yemeni people deserve peace," the statement concluded. "Further escalation will only move us further away from achieving this goal." The UK urged all parties to exercise restraint to preserve space for negotiations in line with the UN roadmap, and to support the Special Envoy's efforts to secure a comprehensive and sustainable peace in Yemen.

The Security Council meeting focused on the Houthis' detention of 13 Yemeni staff from various UN agencies and offices, along with over 50 NGO and civil society workers, since June.

Several speakers are expected to express concern about the destabilizing effects of regional tensions on Yemen.

The meeting comes a month after the Council held a session on the Houthis' drone attack on Tel Aviv, Israel, in July, and the subsequent Israeli retaliatory strikes on the port of Hodeidah and surrounding areas in Yemen.

While the Yemen file enjoys relative unity among Council members, divisions have emerged concerning the Red Sea crisis. Members of the P3 (France, UK, and USA) have criticized the Houthis' destabilizing actions, while other Council members, including Algeria, China, and Russia, have stressed the importance of ending the conflict in Gaza to resolve the Red Sea crisis and prevent further regional escalation.