UN envoy warns Yemen risks renewed large-scale conflict

The Story in Brief

UN Special Envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg has warned of a growing risk of renewed large-scale conflict in Yemen, citing escalating Houthi attacks against Saudi tankers and Yemeni government forces. According to IANS, Grundberg's statement on Friday pointed to recent Houthi attacks in Marib and Hadramout that caused significant casualties, including civilians, as well as attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. He expressed concern over strikes on civilian infrastructure, including airports, and said these developments risk jeopardising the gains of the 2022 truce and could draw Yemen into a broader regional confrontation.

Grundberg has held intensive discussions with Yemeni parties, regional actors and international partners to explore de-escalation options. He called on all parties to exercise maximum restraint, halt actions that could trigger military retaliation, and engage in good-faith negotiations under UN auspices. Yemen has been in conflict since late 2014 when the Houthis seized much of the north, and a Saudi-led coalition intervened in 2015. A fragile de facto ceasefire has largely held since a UN-brokered truce expired in October 2022, but tensions have risen after the Houthis announced a maritime ban on Saudi shipping in July.