ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s top diplomat at the United Nations raised concerns over airstrikes in Yemen during a Security Council briefing on Wednesday, emphasizing the need to view the conflict in the context of the volatile situation across the Middle East.

The United States and Israel launched aerial attacks in Yemen in recent weeks, targeting positions held by the Houthis, a faction that controls much of northern Yemen, including the capital Sanaa.

The strikes were said to be in response to Houthi attacks on commercial ships in the Red Sea and a series of missile and drone strikes against Israel, including a projectile intercepted near central Israel.

The Houthis have described their actions as a commitment to the Palestinian resistance, expressing solidarity with Gaza and Lebanon in the face of Israeli military operations.

A senior UN official noted during the briefing that the conflict in Yemen was increasingly becoming internationalized due to the involvement of external actors.

“Pakistan is deeply concerned on the airstrikes in Yemen,” Ambassador Munir Akram said during his comments to the Security Council. “Israeli airstrikes on Yemen’s civilian infrastructure, including Sana’a International Airport, Red Sea ports and power stations have caused civilian casualties, further exacerbating the dire humanitarian and political crises in Yemen.”

“We are also deeply concerned over Houthi attacks on commercial and maritime vessels in the Red Sea, which threaten global trade, regional stability and the environment,” he added.

Focusing on Yemen’s internal situation, the Pakistani diplomat highlighted the progress made during the December 2023 peace negotiations, which resulted in agreements on a nationwide ceasefire, economic revival initiatives, resuming oil exports and ensuring the payment of public sector salaries.

“It is crucial to preserve these gains, establish a roadmap and fully implement commitments to foster sustainable peace,” he emphasized.

Hans Grundberg, Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Yemen, also urged for “immediate de-escalation and genuine engagement for peace,” noting that nearly 40 million Yemenis had long awaited a peaceful environment to rebuild their lives.

Ambassador Akram reiterated Pakistan’s stance that the conflict in Yemen should be resolved through diplomatic and political means.

“Pakistan urges all parties to prioritize dialogue, engage in a Yemeni-led and Yemeni-owned political process, and resolve differences through peaceful means,” he said.

KARACHI: Pakistan’s polio program on Wednesday confirmed another poliovirus infection from last year, taking the tally of total cases reported in 2024 to 72 amid Islamabad’s attempts to stem the spread of the disease. 
Polio is a paralyzing disease that has no cure. Multiple doses of the oral polio vaccine and completion of the routine vaccination schedule for all children under the age of five is essential to provide children high immunity against this terrible disease.
The Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication at the National Institute of Health confirmed the 72nd case in a female child from the northwestern Dera Ismail Khan district. 
“The onset of this case was on December 31, 2024,” the program said in a statement. “D.I. Khan has now reported 11 polio cases in 2024.”
Giving a breakdown of the cases reported in 2024, the program said 27 cases were reported from Balochistan, 22 from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 21 from Sindh, and one each from Punjab and Islamabad.
Pakistan, along with neighboring Afghanistan, remains the last polio-endemic country in the world. In the early 1990s, Pakistan reported around 20,000 cases annually but in 2018 the number dropped to eight cases. Six cases were reported in 2023 and only one in 2021.
Pakistan’s polio eradication efforts have met several challenges in recent years, including attacks by militants and misinformation by religious hard-liners.
The Pakistan polio program is scheduled to hold the country’s first nationwide vaccination drive of this year from Feb. 3 till Feb. 9.
“It is crucial for parents to ensure vaccination for all their children under the age of five to keep them protected,” it said.