Dorothy Shea, Deputy U.S. Ambassador and Representative to the United Nations, called on the international community to take immediate and decisive actions against the Tehran-backed Houthis in Yemen and their supporters during a UN Security Council meeting on January 15, citing the group’s growing threats to international peace and security.
During this session, which focused on Yemen’s crisis-stricken situation, Shea highlighted the Houthis’ attacks on international shipping in the Red Sea. She also pointed out that, in addition to their sabotage activities in international waters, the Houthis have recently begun detaining innocent Yemenis and even targeting former embassy employees and NGO workers.
Shea also condemned the Houthis’ hostage-taking of the crew of the “Galaxy Leader” ship, which has been held captive for over a year. She stressed that it is time for the UN Security Council to hold the Iranian government accountable for its support of all Houthi sabotage activities.
Iran-Backed Houthis Sink Second Commercial Ship in the Red Sea
The acting U.S. representative at the UN stated that the United States is calling for serious measures to cut off the Houthis’ financial resources and to use targeted sanctions to prevent their connections with other terrorist groups, such as Al-Shabaab.
Shea reaffirmed the U.S. commitment to alleviating the suffering of the Yemeni people. She noted that while more than half of Yemen’s population still relies on humanitarian aid, the Houthis continue to impose restrictions, worsening the situation. As the largest donor to Yemen, the United States urges the international community to increase financial support to address this crisis.
More than 19.5 million people in Yemen will require humanitarian assistance in 2025—an increase of 1.3 million compared to last year. This warning was issued on Wednesday by Joyce Msuya, the acting head of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), regarding the worsening humanitarian crisis in Yemen.
Additionally, it is estimated that around 4.8 million people remain internally displaced, the majority of whom are women and children.
Nearly half of Yemeni children under the age of five suffer from moderate to severe stunting due to malnutrition. Meanwhile, the country’s healthcare system is under immense pressure due to a widespread cholera outbreak.
The Iranian regime continues to provide financial and military support to Yemen’s Houthis. After the weakening of its proxy groups in the region, such as Hezbollah in Lebanon and the collapse of Bashar al-Assad’s rule in Syria, the Houthis have gained significant importance in Iran’s regional strategy.
