Vietnam concerned about military escalation in Yemen

Thứ Sáu, 16/04/2021, 16:50
Vietnamese Ambassador Dang Dinh Quy, head of the Vietnamese Mission to the UN, alongside other speakers voiced their increasing concerns over military escalations and cross-border fighting in Yemen, during a videoconference held on April 15 by the UN Security Council.

Participants at the videoconference of the UN Security Council (Photo: VNA)

Participants at the videoconference of the UN Security Council (Photo: VNA)

The diplomats also called on all concerned parties in Yemen to not hamper oil tankers from entering the port of Houdaydah, to protect civilians, and to implement both the Stockholm Agreement and the Riyadh Agreement on Yemen.

The Vietnamese Ambassador asked all concerned parties in the Middle Eastern country to immediately cease hostilities and resume efforts as part of the political process. Indeed, groups involved in the conflict must halt their attacks on civilian infrastructure and neighbourhoods whilst striving to protect the most vulnerable in society.

He therefore urged the wider international community to continue supporting the Yemeni side and called on all actors involved to ramp up the pace of the implementation of both the Stockholm and Riyadh Agreements.

As part of the council’s discussion over the ongoing humanitarian situation in the Tigray region of Ethiopia during the “any other business” stage of talks, Ambassador Quy acknowledged the Ethiopian Government’s efforts to help the operation of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

He emphasised that ensuring humanitarian aid has yet to meet current urgent needs, particularly in the West and South of the Tigray region.

With great concerns surrounding reports of murders, escalating violence, and the destruction of civilian infrastructure, the Ambassador urged the Ethiopian Government to make greater efforts to protect civilians whilst speeding up investigations on crimes. He added that the top priorities moving forward are to end fighting, in addition to starting dialogues and a political process.

As reported at the meeting, the Yemeni people are bearing the brunt of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, while fighting in Marib, Taizz, and Houdaydah is showing dangerous signs of escalating. As a result of skirmishes, much of the local population has internally displaced or have been put in the line of fire, with approximately 21 million people in Yemen, including 11.3 million children, at risk of hunger and the pandemic.

Participating UN member states have therefore called upon the international community to tackle hunger and the impact of COVID-19 in Yemen, whilst making commitments to provide financial assistance to the Middle Eastern nation.

VNA/VOV