Red Sea shipping lanes must be secured: Chinese envoy

UNITED NATIONS, Aug. 13 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese envoy said Tuesday that the security of the Red Sea shipping lanes must be maintained.

Last month, the Houthis claimed responsibility for sinking two commercial vessels -- Magic Seas and Eternity C -- in the Red Sea.

China finds it deeply concerning and calls on the Houthis to respect the navigational rights of commercial vessels of all countries in the Red Sea in accordance with international law, and to stop harassing or attacking them, said Geng Shuang, China's deputy permanent representative to the United Nations.

"The shipping lanes in the Red Sea should be kept safe, and the safety and security of civilians, including seafarers, should be protected. Yemen's sovereignty, security and territorial integrity should also be respected," he told a UN Security Council meeting on the situation in Yemen.

Active efforts should be made to move the Yemeni peace process forward, said Geng, calling on the two parties to the conflict to resume engagement, move in the same direction, demonstrate the greatest sincerity in resolving their differences, build the greatest possible consensus for reconciliation, and make the greatest efforts to restore peace.

The humanitarian crisis must be eased as soon as possible, he added, noting that Yemen is experiencing one of the worst food security crises in the world, with nearly half of its population facing acute food insecurity and about 4.8 million people displaced. Life is particularly hard for vulnerable groups, including women and children.

"The international community must ramp up humanitarian assistance to Yemen, support the country's economic development and efforts to improve livelihood, and help the Yemeni people tide over these hard times," said Geng.

What is happening in Yemen and the Red Sea is closely linked to the overall situation in the Middle East. The Security Council held an emergency meeting on the situation in Gaza last Sunday. The message from that meeting was unequivocal: the vast majority of council members opposed Israel's plan to take over Gaza, opposed Israel's continued military operations in Gaza, and opposed Israel's weaponization of humanitarian aid, said the Chinese envoy.

The international community must take all actions necessary to bring the fighting in Gaza to an end without delay, mitigate the impact of the humanitarian catastrophe, and de-escalate the overall situation in the Middle East, he said.