UNITED NATIONS
\nDuring a UN Security Council briefing on Wedn\u00adesday afternoon, some member states emphasised the need to add\u00adress attacks on ships in the Red Sea. Some states also called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, urging caution to prevent an escalation in tensions.
\nUS ambassador and Deputy Permanent Representative, Christopher Lu, however, called on member states to \u201cspeak with one voice and demand that the Houthis stop their attacks\u201d.
\nHe said the threat to navigational rights and freedom in the Red Sea was a global challenge that necessitated \u201ca global response\u201d.
\nHe accused Iran of providing financial and material support to the Houthis and called it \u201cthe root of the problem\u201d.
\nThe US diplomat called on the Council to speak with one voice and demand that the Houthis stop their attacks on ships.
\n\u201cWe call for a global response from this Council to this global challenge, and we are ready to discuss the situation further with other member states,\u201d he said.
\nBut Vassily Nebenzia, Russia\u2019s ambassador to the UN, disagreed with the US position. \u201cNobody should deny that what is happening in the Red Sea is a direct projection of the violence in Gaza, where Israel\u2019s bloody operation has been ongoing for three months,\u201d he said.
\nThe Russian diplomat recalled that escalation was also happening in other occupied Palestinian territories, as well as across the Israel-Lebanon border.
\nHe advised the council to avoid \u201cputting out the fire in the Red Sea with gasoline\u201d, as treating it as an isolated incident would not suffice.
\nAlgeria\u2019s ambassador, Amar Bendjama, said his country recognised the crucial role of Red Sea route as being of \u201cparamount importance for the whole world\u201d. But he said the crisis at sea must be seen within a broader regional context.
\n\u201cFirst, the region is currently wracked with instability due to the war in Gaza with the potential of spillover at any moment,\u201d he said. \u201cIt is crucial to prevent the emergence of any regional conflict with out of control regional consequences,\u201d he warned.
\n\u201cThe current international and regional instability is the manifestation of yet another profound malaise: the erosion of collective security architecture and weakening of diplomacy,\u201d Mr Bendjama observed.
\nThe head of the UN\u2019s International Maritime Organisation (IMO), Arsenio Dominguez, said 18 shipping companies have decided to reroute their vessels away from the Red Sea to reduce the risk of attacks from Houthis.
\n\u201cNo cause or grievance\u201d could justify continuing Houthi attacks against freedom of navigation in the Red Sea,\u201c he added.
\nThe IMO chief addressed the overall situation in the region, stating: \u201cWe encourage all concerned parties to avoid further escalation and de-escalate tensions and threats.\u201d
\nUN Assistant Secretary General for the Middle East, Khaled Khiari, warned that the repercussions of military escalations and threats to maritime navigation were of serious concern as these could impact \u201cmillions in Yemen, the region, and globally\u201d.
\nHe urged the council to help \u201cavoid further escalation and the risk of regional conflagration\u201d.
\nNicolas de Rivi\u00e8re, permanent representative of France, said that \u201cFrance and all states have the right to take appropriate measures to ensure safety at sea\u201d.
\nYamazaki Kazuyuki, Japan\u2019s permanent representative, said his country was outraged by the armed \u201cseizure\u201d and continued holding of the Japanese-operated Galaxy Leader and its 25-person multinational crew, on Nov 19.
\nThe Security Council, he said, must take \u201cappropriate action to deter additional threats\u201d by the Houthis and maintain international peace and security.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
UNITED NATIONS During a UN Security Council briefing on Wedn\u00adesday afternoon, some member states emphasised the need to add\u00adress attacks on ships in the Red Sea. Some states also called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, urging caution to prevent an escalation in tensions. US ambassador and Deputy Permanent Representative, Christopher Lu, however, called on […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":379040,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-379024","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-world"},"yoast_head":"\n