Newly recruited Houthi fighters chant slogans as they ride a military vehicle during a gathering in the capital Sanaa to mobilize more fighters to battlefronts in several Yemeni cities, on Jan 3, 2017. (MOHAMMED HUWAIS / AFP)
UNITED NATIONS – The Security Council on Monday adopted a resolution that imposes an arms embargo on the Houthi militia in Yemen as an entity.
Resolution 2624, which was adopted with 11 votes in favor and four abstentions, decides that the Houthis as an entity shall be subject to the arms embargo contained in its previous Resolution 2216 of 2015.
Resolution 2216 and later resolutions targeted individuals from the Houthi group for arms embargo, not the Houthi group as an entity.
Resolution 2624 reaffirms the open-ended arms embargo in Resolution 2216, and decides to renew the asset freeze and travel ban measures till Feb 28, 2023.
The resolution adopted by the UN Security Council condemns the continued supply of weapons and components to Yemen in violation of the targeted arms embargo established in Resolution 2216, as a serious threat to peace and stability in Yemen and the region
Resolution 2624 decides to extend till March 28, 2023, the mandate of the Panel of Experts that assists the Sanctions Committee. The Security Council expresses its intention to review the panel's mandate and take appropriate action regarding the further extension no later than Feb 28, 2023.
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It requests the Panel of Experts to provide a midterm update to the Sanctions Committee no later than July 28, 2022, and a final report no later than Jan 28, 2023, to the Security Council.
The resolution condemns the continued supply of weapons and components to Yemen in violation of the targeted arms embargo established in Resolution 2216, as a serious threat to peace and stability in Yemen and the region.
It strongly condemns the cross-border attacks by the Houthis, including attacks on Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, and demands the immediate cessation of such attacks.
It emphasizes that there is no military solution to the current conflict and that the only viable path forward is dialogue and reconciliation among the multiple and varied parties, including but not limited to the government of Yemen and the Houthis, Yemen's major political and regional parties, and women, youth and civil society.
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The resolution emphasizes the importance of facilitating humanitarian assistance and facilitating commercial imports, noting that the sanctions are not intended to have adverse humanitarian consequences for the civilian population of Yemen, nor civilian access to humanitarian assistance, commercial imports or remittances.
It reaffirms the Security Council's decision that the Sanctions Committee may, on a case-by-case basis, exempt any activity from the sanctions measures if the committee determines that such an exemption is necessary to facilitate the work of the United Nations and other humanitarian organizations in Yemen or for any other purpose consistent with the objectives of these resolutions.