Statement of Condemnation Regarding the Briefing by the UN Envoy to Yemen and His Complicity in Violations of International Law

On Apr 21, 2026

The Entisaf Organization for Women and Children’s Rights followed with deep regret the briefing given by the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Hans Grundberg, to the Security Council on Tuesday, April 14, 2026. The organization believes that the briefing not only failed to fulfill diplomatic obligations but also provided political cover for the continuation of grave violations that strike at the heart of international humanitarian law and international human rights law.

The UN envoy deliberately ignored the ongoing blockade imposed on Sana’a International Airport and Yemeni ports in his briefing. This constitutes a flagrant violation of the “right to life” guaranteed in Article 3 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and Article 6 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. Furthermore, the envoy’s silence regarding the prevention of thousands of patients, especially women and children, from traveling for medical treatment makes him complicit in violating the Chicago Convention on International Civil Aviation, which prohibits the imposition of bans on civilian flights for political or military purposes against civilians.

In the same vein, the briefing suspiciously aligned itself with unilateral measures and the economic war targeting citizens’ livelihoods and salaries. This constitutes a clear endorsement of the policy of “collective punishment,” prohibited under Article 33 of the Fourth Geneva Convention. The organization emphasizes that starving civilians and using it as a weapon of war is a fully-fledged war crime according to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court. This fact was completely ignored by the briefing in an attempt to absolve the aggressors of the consequences of their actions.

Furthermore, the UN envoy’s selective briefing violated the “Code of Conduct for International Civil Servants” and the principles of the United Nations, which mandate neutrality and independence. His insistence on linking the peace process in Yemen to regional issues such as Palestine and Lebanon represents a serious deviation from his mandate and a blatant violation of Security Council resolutions that affirm Yemen’s sovereignty and independence and prohibit interference in its sovereign affairs.

The Entisaf Organization strongly condemns the UN envoy’s disregard for the catastrophic figures of acute malnutrition and maternal and child deaths resulting from the arbitrary actions of the UN Verification and Inspection Mechanism (UNVIM) in detaining food and medicine ships. It considers this deliberate disregard a failure to implement the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), which obligate the international community to provide maximum protection and healthcare to these groups in conflict situations.

Based on the above, the organization demands that the UN envoy immediately cease using misleading and biased language and assume his responsibility to clearly name the parties obstructing salary payments and preventing flights. It emphasizes the absolute and unconditional separation between humanitarian entitlements and any political or military issues, as these are inherent and non-negotiable rights under international humanitarian law. The organization also stresses the necessity of forming an impartial international committee to assess the impact of UN restrictions on exacerbating the humanitarian catastrophe and to hold those responsible accountable. It affirms that the UN’s silence is no longer mere passive diplomacy, but has become blatant bias that legitimizes the killing of Yemeni children and women. Through hunger, disease, and siege.

Issued by the Entisaf Organization for Women and Children’s Rights

Sana’a – April 21, 2026