UN Envoy Warns Yemen Faces Its Gravest Risk of Renewed War Since 2022 | Ukraine news
A fragile calm is breaking apart as intensified fighting, attacks on shipping and worsening hunger push Yemen toward another dangerous turning point.
Yemen faces its most serious risk of returning to full-scale war since the UN-brokered truce was reached in 2022. UN envoy Hans Grundberg said this on August 13 while addressing the UN Security Council.
The warning came amid intensified fighting between Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi movement and the internationally recognized Yemeni government, which is supported by Saudi Arabia. The renewed escalation has raised fears of a return to large-scale conflict and further deterioration across the region.
Fighting intensifies on several fronts
According to Hans Grundberg, military activity along Yemen’s front lines has increased significantly. Recent Houthi attacks in the areas of Marib, Hadramawt, Mocha, and elsewhere have resulted in military and civilian casualties.
The resumption of attacks on commercial vessels in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden poses a particular danger. Grundberg stressed that such actions could draw Yemen further into a broader regional confrontation.
Maritime trade and energy routes are already under pressure because of the crisis in the Strait of Hormuz, where control is contested amid the US and Israeli war against Iran.
A negotiated path to de-escalation is still possible.
– Hans Grundberg
The UN envoy called on the parties to the conflict to immediately reduce tensions and work toward a durable ceasefire. He said that threats and attacks against shipping, as well as cross-border strikes, must stop. He also urged countries with influence over the parties to help bring them back to negotiations.
Humanitarian crisis in Yemen deepens
The worsening security situation is unfolding alongside a deepening humanitarian crisis. UN humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher said that more than half of Yemen’s population is facing acute food shortages.
About 6 million people are experiencing emergency levels of food deprivation, bordering on famine.
6 million people are facing “emergency” levels of food deprivation, bordering on famine.
– Tom Fletcher
Hans Grundberg and Tom Fletcher also called for the release of 73 UN staff members being held by the Houthis. They noted that those detained also include employees of non-governmental organizations, civil society representatives, and members of diplomatic missions.
In addition, preparations for the release of more than 1,600 conflict-related detainees, agreed by the parties in May, are progressing slowly. Grundberg warned that a new wave of escalation could derail the process.
Blockade and airstrikes in the Red Sea
On July 20, the Houthis announced a naval blockade of Saudi Arabia in the Red Sea. They said it was a response to Saudi Arabia’s alleged siege of Yemen, but Riyadh rejected the accusations.
Following this, the Saudi-led coalition carried out airstrikes on facilities in the port city of Hodeidah, which it described as Houthi military infrastructure linked to threats against commercial shipping.
Conflict has lasted for more than a decade
Yemen has been in conflict since 2014, when the Houthis seized the capital, Sanaa. The following year, a Saudi-led military coalition intervened in the country.
The UN-brokered truce reached in 2022 largely halted major fighting, although it expired after six months. Efforts to turn the agreement into a lasting political settlement have stalled amid growing regional tensions.