Yemen and Tunisia address rising sea level threats at UN meeting

Foreign ministers from Yemen and Tunisia participated in a high-level United Nations meeting in New York to address the existential threats posed by rising sea levels.

Yemen's Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates, Afrah Al-Zouba, emphasized that climate change adaptation is an urgent necessity. She highlighted risks such as coastal erosion, flooding, and increased salinity in water and agricultural lands, which threaten food security and the livelihoods of fishermen and farmers. Al-Zouba called for increased adaptation funding, better access to technology, and the protection of maritime rights and legal jurisdictions under international law.

Tunisia's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mohamed Ali Nefati, described rising sea levels as a critical challenge to sustainable development and human security. He noted that Tunisia's economic activities are heavily concentrated along its coastline, making it highly vulnerable to impacts on water resources, agriculture, and biodiversity. Nefati advocated for a coordinated response that integrates climate action with disaster risk reduction and called for the Mediterranean basin to be prioritized for adaptation support and ecosystem restoration.