The United Nations Secretary-General, António Guterres, has appealed to the United States and allies as well as the Yemen-based Houthi rebels not to escalate further the situation in evolving in the Red Sea in the interest of peace and stability in the region. This statement comes a day after the United States and United Kingdom, with support from the Netherlands, Canada, Bahrain, and Australia, conducted air strikes against a number of targets in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen.

While condemning the continued attacks by the Houthis against international shipping, the Secretary-General called for the Houthis to immediately cease all attacks on commercial vessels, fully respecting resolution 2722 in its entirety. The resolution adopted on 10 January 2024 for the Houthis in Yemen to immediately cease all attacks on merchant and commercial vessels.

More than 50 nations have been affected in 27 attacks on international commercial shipping on the Red Sea, US President Joe Biden had stated earlier on 11th January 2024. The Secretary-General noted that these attacks have been endangering the safety and security of global supply chains and created a negative impact on the economic and humanitarian situation worldwide.

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Gutteres urged all Member States defending their vessels in the Red Sea from attacks to do so in accordance with international law, as stipulated in the Resolution. He further stressed the need for every effort to be made to ensure that Yemen pursues a path towards peace and that the work undertaken thus far to end the conflict in Yemen should not be lost.