Ambassador Dang Dinh Quy, Vietnam's Permanent Representative to the United Nations.

The event saw the presence of Khaled Khiari, Assistant Secretary-General for the Middle East, Asia and the Pacific in the Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs and Peace Operations; Martin Griffiths, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs; and Henrietta Fore, Executive Director of the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF).

Speakers noted that military escalation has continued in many places across Yemen, especially in Marib, leading to heavy casualties, including women and children.

They underscored the need for a nationwide ceasefire to resolve current deadlocks and give an impulse to the resumption of political dialogues among parties.

With regard to the Safer oil tanker off Yemen’s coast, they urged the Houthis to let the UN technical team access the vessel to perform their duties.

Council member states condemned attacks against civilians, particularly women and children, and appealed for an end to military actions as well as efforts be promoted to deal with the challenges facing Yemen. They called for unimpeded access to humanitarian assistance and protection of civilians.

Many states also urged the Houthis to cooperate with the UN to handle the issue of the Safer oil tanker.

On this occasion, they applauded the appointment of Hans Grundberg, former EU Ambassador to Yemen, as the new Special Envoy of the UN Secretary-General for this country.

In his remarks, Quy emphasised that there is no military solution to the conflict in Yemen, and that military escalation is one of the biggest obstructions to the peace process in this country.

He asked all parties to cooperate with Special Envoy Hans Grundberg, respect the International Humanitarian Law, and implement Resolution 2573, including protecting civilian infrastructure, supporting the UNICEF appeal for upholding children’s right to education, and cooperating with one another to achieve sustainable and inclusive peace in Yemen.

The diplomat also urged relevant parties to step up the implementation of the Stockholm Agreement and the Riyadh Agreement.

Also on August 23, the UN Security Council discussed the Haiti situation after the August 14 earthquake, which killed 2,200, injured 12,000, and affected 8,000 others. The access to humanitarian aid in many areas is being hampered by security uncertainties, especially in the places controlled by crime gangs.

Quy offered deep condolences to Haiti in these difficult times, noting that the top priority now is to increase humanitarian relief and ensure security for the earthquake-hit places.

The ambassador also called on the international community to increase assistance to Haiti.

Source: Vietnam News

Vietnam co-organises UN discussion on environmental protection in armed conflicts

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