UNO: The United Nations Security Council unanimously agreed Wednesday to extend an arms embargo on Yemen's Houthi rebels, as well as an asset freeze and travel ban on Houthi leaders and top officials, until November 15.

The British-drafted resolution also extends until December 15 the mandate of the United Nations panel of experts monitoring the sanctions.

In February 2022, the Security Council expanded an arms embargo on Houthi leaders to include all Houthis, claiming they posed a threat to the country's peace, security, and stability.

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Following the vote on Wednesday, the council convened behind closed doors to hear briefings from Hans Grundberg, the United Nations special envoy for Yemen, and Joyce Msuya, the assistant secretary-general for humanitarian affairs.

Yemen, the most impoverished nation in the Arab world with a population of 26 million, descended into civil war in 2014 when the Houthis, who are backed by Iran, seized control of Sanaa, the nation's capital. The internationally recognised government fled and appealed for assistance from the Gulf neighbours.

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More than 10,000 people have been killed, 2 million people have been displaced, and one of the worst humanitarian catastrophes in history has resulted from a military coalition led by Saudi Arabia that started a destructive war to restore the government in March 2015. The conflict has largely reached a standstill.

A U.N.-backed truce that went into effect in April of last year gave people hope for a longer break in hostilities, but it only lasted six months, ending on October 2.

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Despite the end of the cease-fire, Grundberg stated to the council in January that "the overall military situation in Yemen has remained stable." He stated that increased regional and global diplomatic efforts to end the eight-year conflict in the country gave him hope, and he reportedly followed up on those efforts during Wednesday's closed council meeting.