Yemen at serious risk of return to large-scale conflict, UN envoy says

The United Nations envoy to Yemen warns that the country is at a serious risk of returning to large-scale conflict, surpassing any point since the 2022 truce. Hans Grundberg, the UN envoy, emphasizes that recent military activity along front lines threatens to undermine years of efforts towards lasting peace in Yemen. The Yemeni state institutions, economy, and the wider region are now in a precarious state, with the conflict exacerbated by the US-Iran war.

The Houthi group and the internationally recognized Yemeni government signed a UN-mediated truce in 2022, which expired, but fighting largely ceased earlier this year. However, a recent missile strike on a ship in the Bab Al Mandeb Strait and attacks on Saudi targets have reignited tensions. Grundberg urges the warring parties to de-escalate and collaborate with the UN on a political process, stressing that four years of calm can be lost in a few weeks of escalation.

The humanitarian situation remains dire, with millions facing difficult choices daily, and funding for the humanitarian appeal is at only 20%. The UK, US, and Russia have differing perspectives on the escalation, with Russia attributing it to an "excessive" use of force by the US, while the UN representative for Yemen's government accuses the Houthi militias of attempting to create an air bridge for weapons and experts from Iran.