Yemen Monitor / Newsroom:
The United Nations on Monday expressed deep concern over the renewed hostilities and escalating tensions across large parts of the Middle East, warning of the risk of a wider regional escalation and calling for immediate de-escalation.
Speaking at the UN’s daily press briefing, UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric stressed that the protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure is “of utmost importance,” emphasizing the need to spare critical infrastructure—including hospitals and water supply facilities—from harm.
He added that “all parties must uphold their obligations under international humanitarian law, including the principles of distinction, proportionality, and precaution.”
Dujarric also voiced grave concern over renewed threats by the Houthi group against Saudi Arabia and freedom of navigation, warning that these developments carry the risk of a broader regional escalation.
He urged all parties to de-escalate immediately and resolve their differences through dialogue and diplomacy, while fully complying with UN Security Council Resolution 2722 (2024) and subsequent resolutions concerning Houthi attacks on commercial shipping.
In a related development, Dujarric announced that the UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Yemen, Hans Grundberg, is holding consultations in Muscat, Oman, following a visit to Riyadh, where he met with Rashad Al-Alimi, Chairman of Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council; Mohammed Al Jaber, Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to Yemen; and representatives of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council.
According to Dujarric, the discussions focused on the urgent need for de-escalation and on agreeing to a path that preserves the gains achieved through the UN-brokered truce in Yemen in 2022.
The UN spokesperson said Grundberg emphasized the importance of keeping Yemen insulated from the broader regional escalation and preserving the political space necessary to advance an inclusive, Yemeni-led political process that would bring the conflict to a comprehensive end.
