(MENAFN) The UN Security Council voted Friday to extend its sanctions regime on Yemen for another year, with 13 members supporting the measure and Russia and China abstaining.

The resolution, submitted by the UK, extends targeted financial and travel sanctions on designated Yemeni individuals until Nov. 14, 2026, and renews the mandate of the Yemen Panel of Experts, responsible for monitoring and reporting on sanctions, until Dec. 15, 2026.

UK Charge d’Affaires James Kariuki welcomed the renewal, saying the resolution helps the council monitor and deter violations of the arms embargo, restraining the Houthis’ capacity to destabilize Yemen and threaten regional maritime security, while aiming not to worsen the humanitarian situation.

China’s deputy UN envoy Geng Shuang criticized aspects of the resolution, particularly proposed maritime interdictions in the Red Sea, calling them “arbitrary” and warning they could affect freedom of navigation, international trade, and member states’ rights.

Russia’s deputy UN envoy Anna Evstigneeva described the resolution’s wording as “unbalanced and one-sided” and labeled it a “highly politicized approach” by Western members. She emphasized the need for active involvement of Yemen’s regional partners—Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Iran, and Oman—rather than using sanctions for narrow political purposes.

Yemen has been engulfed in violence since 2014, when Iran-backed Houthi rebels took control of large parts of the country, including the capital Sanaa. The conflict escalated in 2015 with a Saudi-led coalition’s air campaign. Tens of thousands of Yemenis have reportedly been killed, and 14 million people face the risk of starvation, according to UN estimates.

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