UN sanctions regime for Yemen renewed

UNITED NATIONS, United States — The UN Security Council on Tuesday renewed its sanctions regime on Yemen for another year.

Thirteen countries eventually adopted the London-drafted resolution on the sanctions, which now are in effect through February 2021. Russia and China abstained.

The sanctions plan, which would have expired on Wednesday, includes the extension of the mandate of UN experts who monitor the arms embargo imposed in 2015.

The resolution also extends the measures that provide for the freezing of assets and travel bans on targeted officials.

A recent report from the UN experts who monitor the arms embargo said the Houthis had been in possession since 2019 of new weapons — drones and cruise missiles — with "technical characteristics similar to arms" produced in Iran.

The report did not say whether the weapons were delivered to the Houthis directly by the government in Tehran, which has repeatedly denied sending them arms.

Non-governmental organisations say the conflict in Yemen has claimed tens of thousands of lives, most of them civilians. The UN says the war has provoked the worst humanitarian crisis in the world.