UN envoy warns Yemen has returned to ‘full-scale war’

The United Nations special envoy for Yemen cautioned the Security Council on Friday that the nation has reverted to full-scale warfare, with battles erupting along several fronts and Houthi assaults on Saudi Arabia potentially exacerbating regional tensions. "Over the past few weeks, Yemen has reverted to a full-scale conflict, with hostilities proliferating across multiple front lines," stated UN envoy Hans Grundberg before the 15-member council.

Earlier, the Iran-backed Houthis had pushed towards Mokha and the coast along the vital Bab Al Mandeb strait. Meanwhile, Yemen's internationally recognized government reported recapturing nearby territory during a counteroffensive launched this week. The conflict has increasingly spilled into Saudi Arabia, with three Saudi nationals, including an airline pilot, slain in attacks on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh and a Saudi aircraft on Thursday, according to Saudi authorities.

The Houthis claimed responsibility for the assaults on the airport. Grundberg denounced Houthi strikes on Saudi civilian and energy infrastructure, such as Abha International Airport and King Khalid International Airport. He also cautioned that threats against Saudi-linked vessels in the Red Sea could further destabilize global shipping and energy markets, as these threats intertwine with the overarching struggle over control of maritime trade routes and the pressures on the international energy market.

According to the UN, over 200,000 people have been displaced across Yemen since the start of August, the highest figure since the 2022 truce. Furthermore, nearly 4,000 individuals have fled across the Bab Al Mandeb strait to find refuge in Djibouti and Somalia. Despite the intensifying hostilities, Grundberg urged the conflicting factions to engage in negotiations.

"Unless war becomes Yemen's permanent destiny, the moment to contemplate political strategies has arrived," he emphasized.