Saudi Arabia and Yemen’s internationally recognised gov’t urge UN Security Council action amid escalating conflict with the Houthis.

United Nations Special Envoy to Yemen Hans Grundberg says that the country has slid back into “full-scale war” as fighting between the Houthis and internationally recognised government forces continues.

During a meeting at the UN Security Council on Friday to discuss the situation in Yemen, Grundberg said civilians, including women and children, were bearing the “brunt of escalating violence”.

“Ongoing instability in the Middle East continues to impact dynamics in Yemen, while developments in Yemen, in turn, reverberate across the region,” he said.

“Regional security, freedom of navigation and the protection of international trade are legitimate concerns that must be addressed. International engagement on Yemen must also be grounded in the realities of Yemen and the needs and aspirations of its people,” Grundberg added.

The envoy stressed that “unless war is to become Yemen’s permanent reality, the time to consider political strategies is now.”

“Ultimately, gains on the battlefield cannot substitute for the negotiations that will be required to settle the conflict,” he said, urging Security Council members to collectively support mediation efforts.

According to the UN, at least 46 civilians have been killed and more than 130 others have been injured since August, with children bearing a disproportionate toll during the ongoing clashes.

The UN representative for Yemen’s internationally recognised government, Abdullah Ali Fadhel al-Saadi, told the Security Council that the threat from the Houthis was no longer an “internal Yemeni affair”.

Al-Saadi called on the council to take “decisive, practical measures” to reduce the flow of funding, weapons and technology to the Iranian-backed group and also strengthen cooperation with the Yemeni government.

Source: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/10/9/un-envoy-warns-yemen-has-returned-to-full-scale-war-urges-dialogue?traffic_source=rss