UN says ‘following with concern’ Houthi seizure of UAE-flagged ship, urges restraint

The UN said on Wednesday that it is “following with concern” reports that a UAE-flagged cargo ship had been seized by the Houthi militia.

“While the circumstances around the incident remain unclear, we are following with concern the reports of the seizure by Houthis of a vessel flying the flag of the UAE in what the Houthis have described as ‘Yemeni waters,’’’ the spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General Stephane Dujarric said.

Dujarric called on all countries in the region to exercise restraint and and “refrain from taking any escalatory action.”

He continued: “We reaffirm the need to respect the rights and obligations related to maritime navigation in accordance with international law.”

He also urged all Yemeni parties to engage with the UN’s Yemen envoy Hans Grundberg in order “to advance the political process to reach a comprehensive and negotiated settlement to end the conflict in the country.”

UAE-flagged Rawabi was hijacked off the Yemeni port city of Hodeidah by armed Houthis on Sunday, the Arab coalition said on Monday.

It had been transporting medical equipment from the remote Yemeni island of Socotra in the Arabian Sea to the Saudi port of Jazan, the coalition added.