UN calls for de-escalation as fighting in Yemen intensifies

UN Security Council members on Tuesday called for de-escalation and renewed dialogue amid the escalating civil war in Yemen.

Addressing an emergency meeting in New York, UN Assistant Secretary General Khaled Khiari said the situation in and around the Bab al-Mandab Strait had become increasingly volatile in recent days.

Fighting had intensified along Yemen’s west coast as the Houthis advanced toward the strait and claimed capturing several islands in the southern Red Sea, Khiari said.

The fighting had forced civilians to flee their homes and put already stretched humanitarian operations under growing pressure, he said.

At least 125,000 people had been displaced across Yemen since the start of the month, he said. Over this same period, the UN Human Rights Office reported eight people had been killed and 32 others injured.

Fighting had spread beyond Yemen with Houthi attacks reported in Saudi Arabia, the UN said.

“We call on all parties to protect civilians, respect international humanitarian law, and facilitate safe and unimpeded humanitarian access so that urgently needed assistance can reach communities in need,” Khiari said.

“What is needed now is sustained engagement that reduces tensions, prevents further escalation and safeguards freedom of navigation. The parties in Yemen should prioritize dialogue and engage constructively with UN-led efforts toward a negotiated political solution.”

The emergency meeting was requested by Bahrain, Denmark, France, Greece, Latvia and the United Kingdom.

In addition to the 15 member states of the United Nations’ most powerful body, representatives of Yemen and Saudi Arabia also attended.

In 2014, the Houthis overran northern Yemen, including the capital Sana’a, and remain in control of large areas there.

Saudi Arabia has been fighting the militia alongside the internationally recognized government for more than 10 years, heading a military alliance in Yemen for that purpose.

Bab al-Mandab connects the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden. Both form part of a shipping route running from the Mediterranean through the Suez Canal to the Indian Ocean, making it the shortest sea route between Europe and Asia.