New York (South24 Center)

The UN Security Council adopted, on Tuesday (January 27), a resolution extending the mandate of the United Nations Mission to Support the Hodeidah Agreement (UNMHA) for only two additional months, until March 31, 2026, ahead of termination of the mission’s work and the transfer of its remaining tasks to the Office of the UN Special Envoy for Yemen.

Thirteen members voted in favor of Resolution 2813, whose draft was submitted by Britain, while Russia and China abstained from voting. 

According to the resolution, as of April 1, 2026, UNMHA will commence a liquidation process. It requested the UN Secretary-General to prepare a transition and liquidation plan for the mission, in consultation with the Yemeni parties, to ensure the transfer of its remaining tasks to the Office of the Special Envoy and the implementation of an orderly and safe withdrawal of its personnel and assets.

UNMHA was established in 2019 to support the implementation of the Hodeidah Agreement, which emerged from the Stockholm Agreement signed in December 2018 between the Yemeni government and the Houthi group, regarding the ceasefire in Hodeidah Governorate and the redeployment in the ports of Hodeidah, Salif, and Ras Issa.

The UK Representative to the UN, Archie Young, stated that his country looks forward to an “orderly and sustainable” transition of the mission’s responsibilities to the Office of the Special Envoy, and welcomed the Security Council’s continued commitment to supporting the Hodeidah and Stockholm agreements and UN-led peace efforts.

In contrast, Russia's Deputy Ambassador to the UN, Anna Evstigneeva, said that the mission has played, since its establishment, an important role in promoting stability, monitoring the implementation of the Stockholm Agreement, and maintaining the civilian nature of the ports, warning that its liquidation might undermine one of the few remaining confidence-building elements.

The Chinese Ambassador to the UN, Fu Cong, warned against a hasty withdrawal of the mission within a short period, calling for a study of the field situation in Hodeidah to avoid destabilization or a renewal of fighting.

In a related context, the UN Resident Coordinator in Yemen, Julian Harneis, welcomed the inclusion of explicit language in the resolution demanding, for the first time, that the Houthis create a safe working environment and immediately and unconditionally release all detained UN, humanitarian, and diplomatic personnel.

Harneis said that the resolution represents a “pivotal moment” for dozens of detainees, some since 2021, adding that the international community is sending a clear message regarding the gravity of the violations affecting humanitarian work in Houthi-controlled areas.

The UN resolution comes amid increasing international pressure due to arrest campaigns launched by the Houthis, which targeted UN and humanitarian cadres in areas under the group's control over the past months.