The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates denounced on Friday condemned the biased statement made by the UN Secretary-General's Special Envoy to Yemen regarding the situation in the Red Sea.

The Ministry affirmed that the statement reflects the envoy’s lack of neutrality, as it completely ignores the root causes of the escalation—namely, the genocidal crimes committed by the Zionist entity in Gaza, which have been witnessed by the United Nations and the international community, both of whom have remained inactive.

The Ministry pointed out that the statement, lacking balance and impartiality, should have expressed concern over the ongoing Zionist aggression against Yemen, which targets civilian infrastructure vital to the population. It should also have called for an immediate end to this aggression.

This statement was issued just one day after the envoy addressed the same issue in his monthly briefing to the Security Council, while remaining silent regarding the Zionist entity’s attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure in Yemen.

The Ministry explained that such bias complicates Sana’a’s engagement with the envoy, whose role requires maintaining an equal distance from all parties involved in the conflict rather than taking sides. Moreover, the envoy’s persistent negative and biased stance towards the Yemeni people and the US-Zionist aggression risks prompting the Yemeni government to escalate beyond merely suspending official contact with him and his office.

The Ministry reiterated its commitment to the freedom and safety of navigation in the Red Sea, clarifying that the maritime ban targets only the Zionist entity. This ban was imposed following the failure of the international community and the United Nations to lift the siege on Gaza and to halt the ongoing genocidal crimes that have persisted for over 21 months.

The Ministry emphasized that the purpose of the ban is to pressure the Zionist entity to end its aggression, lift the siege on Gaza, and allow humanitarian aid to reach the famine-stricken Palestinian population. Sana’a halted its attacks upon reaching a ceasefire in Gaza but resumed them after the Zionist entity reneged on the agreement.

The Ministry reminded the UN envoy that Sana’a has refrained from employing similar tactics despite enduring unjust aggression and a harsh blockade since March 26, 2015.

It affirmed that this religious, humanitarian, and moral stance in support of the Palestinian people, who face annihilation in Gaza, is consistent with international humanitarian law and the 1949 Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide.

The Ministry reaffirmed Yemen’s principled, humanitarian, and moral position in support of the Palestinian people and their just cause.

Finally, it stressed the importance of the Special Envoy strictly adhering to his mandate, which requires exerting good offices to achieve a political settlement in Yemen and working towards alleviating the humanitarian suffering endured by the Yemeni people for the tenth consecutive year.