UN Security Council Extends Mission to Monitor Ceasefire in Yemen

By Legal Wires 4 Minutes Read

On Monday, the UN Security Council unanimously voted to extend the mandate of the United Nations Mission to Support the Hudaydah Agreement (UNMHA), the body overseeing the ceasefire agreement in Yemen’s Al Hudaydah Governorate.

The Security Council passed Resolution 2742 (2024), extending the mission’s mandate until July 14, 2025. The resolution also requested that the Secretary-General provide monthly updates on the situation in Hudaydah.

The UNMHA was initially created following the Stockholm Agreement (2018), which established a ceasefire in the city of Hudaydah and the nearby ports of Hudaydah, Salif, and Ras Isa. This agreement was signed by the conflicting parties in Yemen, namely the government and the Houthis. Besides the redeployment of military personnel from these areas, the agreement also led to the formation of a Redeployment Coordination Committee to oversee operations in Hudaydah. Ultimately, the UNMHA was established in 2019 to support the proper implementation of the agreement.

Speaking after the vote, the representative of the United Kingdom emphasized the Mission’s crucial role in maintaining essential commercial and humanitarian routes into the ports of Hudaydah, Salif, and Ras Issa, as well as supporting the demilitarization of these ports. She welcomed the Council’s “show of unity” in renewing the 12-month mandate, stating, “This sends a clear message on the continued importance of the ceasefire in Hudaydah and the work to preserve it.” However, she highlighted the need to end ongoing Houthi restrictions on the Mission’s movement and the proliferation of weapons in Hudaydah. Whereas, the representative of the United States said that the resolution will allow the Mission to continue its patrols of Red Sea ports, also noting the need to monitor conflict-affected districts in the Hudaydah governorate. 

Both the representatives of the UK and the US delivered statements on the importance of extending the mandate. The US delegation highlighted Iranian involvement in the illegal transfer of weapons to the Houthis and addressed the detention of 45 staff members of the UN and other organizations by the group. Several NGOs, including Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International, have already addressed this potential case of enforced disappearance, a crime under international law.

According to UN data, Yemen is experiencing a severe humanitarian and political crisis, with 80 percent of the population in need of humanitarian aid and protection. Since the civil war began, three million people have been displaced, and the collapse of sanitary and economic institutions has resulted in one of the world’s largest humanitarian crises.

Legal Wires

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