UN Security Council extends Yemen sanctions through November

By Michael Hernandez

WASHINGTON (AA) - The UN Security Council unanimously agreed Wednesday to extend its Yemen sanctions mandate through November.

The increasingly rare Council unity allows for the asset freeze on Yemeni entities to continue, as well as an ongoing travel ban on designated individuals. The mandate for the Yemen Panel of Experts is also being extended through mid-December via the UK-submitted resolution.

The sanctions were slated to expire Feb. 28 after being renewed a year prior.

Following the vote, the Council headed into closed consultations with briefings from senior UN officials, including Special Envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg and Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Joyce Msuya.

Yemen has been engulfed by violence and instability since 2014 when Iranian-aligned Houthi rebels captured much of the country, including the capital, Sanaa.