News - Yemen: The National Human Rights Commission of Yemen has strongly condemned the UN Security Council’s decision to extend sanctions on Yemen, describing it as a direct political attack on the Yemeni people.

In a statement Tuesday, the Commission said the sanctions target civilians, particularly vulnerable groups such as children, women, and the elderly, and constitute a serious violation of international humanitarian law. 

The statement added that the decision lacks any legal justification and relies on misleading reports that do not reflect Yemen’s humanitarian reality.

“The country is experiencing one of the worst humanitarian crises in the world, with widespread food insecurity, medicine shortages, and collapsed public services,” the statement said.

It added that the sanctions worsen hunger, poverty, and prevent access to medical care.

The Commission criticized the UN Security Council for abandoning its moral and legal responsibilities, becoming instead a party that exacerbates suffering rather than alleviating it. It said the extension of sanctions reflects blatant politicization and a failure of the international community to pursue genuine peace and stability.

The statement called for the immediate and unconditional lifting of sanctions and the removal of all restrictions on the entry of food, medicine, and essential supplies. It urged an end to the politicization of humanitarian issues and stressed the Yemeni people’s right to live in dignity, warning against using their suffering as a tool for political pressure.

The United Nations Security Council recently adopted a British-sponsored draft resolution extending sanctions on Yemen for an additional 12 months. The resolution passed with 13 votes in favor and abstentions from Russia and China.

The renewed sanctions regime includes financial restrictions and travel bans, along with expanded monitoring mechanisms targeting what the Council describes as dual-use components and precursor materials that could be used in weapons manufacturing. The UK representative, James Kariuki, stated that the updated measures aim to address what he called the “increasing complexity and scale of Houthi smuggling and financing.”

The resolution also contains provisions related to maritime interdictions, requiring UN member states to inspect vessels operating in the Red Sea and surrounding waters. These measures have drawn criticism from major powers: China abstained, denouncing the maritime inspection clause as “arbitrary,” while Russia described the text as “unbalanced” and “politicized.”

The decision comes amid heightened tensions in the Red Sea and ongoing foreign escalation against Yemen, which Sana’a argues is being legitimized through such UN decisions. Yemen says the renewed sanctions fail to address the blockade, humanitarian suffering, or foreign aggression—issues it considers central to any genuine path toward peace.