Yemen escalation risks wider regional conflict, global repercussions: UN envoy

UNITED NATIONS - UN Special Envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg on Thursday warned that the renewed war in Yemen risks dragging the country into wider and unresolved regional confrontation with global repercussions.

Over the past 24 hours, fighting has intensified across multiple front lines in Yemen, especially on the strategic west coast. The Houthis launched a major offensive, including on Mokha, the port city that lies roughly 75 km from Bab al-Mandeb, the chokepoint linking the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden through which a substantial share of global trade and energy passes, Grundberg told the Security Council in a briefing.

"As of right now, they have gained control of Mokha, giving them a direct presence on the approaches to one of the world's most vital straits, although fighting is ongoing and the situation remains fluid," he said via a video link. "This development is raising serious concerns within the international community about the threat to freedom of navigation."

The renewed war effectively marks the end of the relative calm that Yemen has experienced for over four years since the UN-brokered truce. It not only threatens to plunge Yemen into a prolonged and expanding war, but also risks dragging the country into the wider and unresolved regional confrontation, with global repercussions, Grundberg said.

The developments in Mokha follow weeks of escalation. In early September, the Houthis launched extensive attacks in Taiz and Hodeidah, setting off increasingly intense confrontations with government forces. Fighting has since spread to Marib, al-Jawf, and al-Bayda governorates. The Houthis have also conducted attacks on civilian and energy infrastructure in Saudi Arabia, he said.

Grundberg called on the Houthis to cease attacks inside Yemen and across the border into Saudi Arabia, and to cease attacks and threats against commercial vessels.

The UN envoy asked all parties to keep channels of engagement open, and to preserve the pathway to a political settlement.

International humanitarian law must be upheld at all times by everyone. Civilians and civilian objects must not be targeted, and constant care must be taken to spare them from the effects of military operations, he said.

"The question before the international community is no longer whether Yemen's war will resume, but how to address a new and more dangerous phase -- one whose consequences, if left unchecked, will not stay within Yemen's borders," Grundberg said.