NEW YORK: United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Thursday called for restraint amid escalation of hostilities in Yemen. He also condemned the “Houthi attacks against civilian targets” in Saudi Arabia.
In a post on X, Guterres wrote, “Escalating hostilities in Yemen & continued Houthi attacks against civilian targets in Saudi Arabia – which are totally unacceptable – are inflicting immense suffering on civilians & adding to regional tensions. We need restraint. And Yemen needs a political horizon.”
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Yemen has welcomed the European Parliament’s resolution urging the EU to designate the Houthis as “terrorists”.
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs welcomes the European Parliament’s decision calling for the inclusion of the Houthi militia, in both its political and military wings, on the European Union’s list of terrorist organizations, and considers it an important step toward protecting civilians, preserving regional security, and ensuring the safety of international navigation,” Ministry wrote on X.
In a resolution adopted on Thursday, Members of the European Parliament described “attacks as flagrant violations of international law and international humanitarian law”, stressing that large numbers of Yemeni civilians have been killed and displaced, while the humanitarian crisis in the country has worsened.
“The Parliament also denounces the missile and drone attacks by the Houthis against Israel and the United Arab Emirates in recent years,” European Parliament said in a statement. Following a proposal by EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas, Parliament urged the Council to put the “Houthi movement, including its military and political wings, leadership and military and security apparatus, on the EU list of terrorist organisations.”
It also calls for all channels of financing for the Houthi movement to be dismantled and for the EU to freeze all funds and economic resources belonging to the Houthis and their facilitators, the European Parliament added. Also, Iraq condemned strikes on Saudi Arabia and affirmed that its territory won’t be used in any manner for launching of attacks.
According to Al Jazeera, Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud received a phone call from his Iraqi counterpart Fuad Hussein. During the call, the Iraqi foreign minister condemned recent attacks on Saudi Arabia and denounced harm done to civilians and public infrastructure, the Saudi Foreign Ministry said in a statement, as per Al Jazeera. (ANI)