Yemen: UN envoy warns of threat of return to ‘full-fledged war’ as regional tensions escalate

Yemeni Government forces backed by a Saudi-led coalition have been battling with Houthi rebels, also known as Ansar Allah, since 2014. The Houthis also began attacking commercial ships in the Red Sea – a crucial route for global trade – following the eruption of war in Gaza last October.

Regional dimension increasing

Mr. Grundberg said the regional dimension of the Yemen conflict “is getting more and more pronounced”, and the “escalatory trajectory reached a new and dangerous level last week”. 

He was briefing a day after the Council met to debate the 19 July Houthi drone attack against Tel Aviv in Israel, and the retaliatory Israeli airstrikes on Hudaydah Port in Yemen, and its oil and power facilities, on 20 July.

‘No signs of de-escalation’

The envoy said he was “deeply concerned by the recent military activities in the region”.  

He also voiced deep concern over the continued targeting of international shipping in and around the Red Sea, adding that recent developments suggest the threat is increasing in both scope and precision.

Commercial shipping vessels have been sunk and damaged, civilians have been killed, the crew of the Galaxy Leader – a cargo ship hijacked in November – remains arbitrarily detained, and international trade has been disrupted. 

The United States and the United Kingdom have also continued to carry out strikes on military targets in Ansar Allah-controlled territory. 

“It is alarming that there are no signs of de-escalation, let alone a solution,” said Mr. Grundberg.  “These latest developments show the real danger of a devastating region-wide escalation.” 

Clashes along frontlines

Meanwhile, the situation along frontlines inside Yemen also remains a concern, he added. Recent months have seen an increase in military preparations and reinforcements, while clashes were reported this month along several frontlines. 

“While the levels of violence have been relatively contained compared to the period before the 2022 truce, the recent trend of escalation, accompanied by continuous threats of a full-scale return to war, demonstrates how volatile the situation is.”

Although concerned about the overall trajectory in Yemen, Mr. Grundberg said he was encouraged that the parties informed him last night that they have agreed on a path towards measures related to the banking and transport sectors. 

Concern for detained personnel

The envoy also reminded ambassadors that nearly two months have passed since Ansar Allah arbitrarily detained 13 UN staff and dozens of personnel from international and national non-governmental organizations (NGOs), civil society, and private sector entities.

The people are all Yemeni nationals, at least four are women, and there has been no word on their whereabouts or status.  Four other staff from the UN’s human rights office, OHCHR, and its cultural agency, UNESCO, have also been held since 2021 and 2023, respectively.

Mr. Grundberg repeated his call for their immediate and unconditional release, and for Ansar Allah to refrain from detaining any additional UN, NGO and civil society personnel.

Hudaydah a ‘lifeline’ for millions 

Joyce Msuya, UN Acting Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, also expressed concern over the recent developments in Yemen and the region.

She said that according to the Houthi de facto Ministry of Health, nine people were killed, and 83 injured, following the strikes on Hudaydah.

She described Hudaydah Port as a “lifeline” for millions in Yemen. Some 85 per cent of food supplies arrive through the port, which “must remain open and operating”.

Threats to humanitarians

Ms. Msuya also addressed the detention of the UN and other personnel, and the broader threats to humanitarians in Yemen. 

“Alongside rapidly spreading misinformation and disinformation targeting the international community, the detentions have caused widespread fear and anxiety among humanitarian workers,” she said. 

She warned that without the necessary safety and security guarantees, and respect for principled humanitarian action, “we cannot operate at the scale required.” 

Rising hunger, funding shortfall 

The situation is particularly serious amid a surge in food insecurity and malnutrition, with a staggering one in every two children under the age of five now estimated to be experiencing chronic malnutrition or stunting.

Since January, food deprivation levels have risen from 51 per cent of the population to 58 per cent, an overall increase of 14 per cent. Nearly a tenth of all households in Houthi-controlled areas rely on alms to obtain food.

Ms. Msuya said humanitarians also require adequate support for their operations, but “low funding levels continue to hamper our work”.  As a result, they were only able to reach 315,000 people with nutrition assistance during the first quarter of the year, out of the two million targeted.

She urged the Council “to do everything in its power to maintain unity, de-escalate rising tensions, and support the humanitarian response in Yemen.”