UNITED NATIONS -- The longer the war in Gaza goes on and Yemen鈥檚 Houthi rebels keep attacking ships in the Red Sea the greater the risk that Yemen could be propelled back into war, the UN special envoy for the poorest Arab nation warned Thursday.
Hans Grundberg told the UN Security Council it has been impossible to shield his promising efforts to restore peace to Yemen because the reality is, 鈥渨hat happens regionally impacts Yemen 鈥� and what happens in Yemen can impact the region.鈥�
Since November, the Iranian-backed Houthis have targeted ships in the Red Sea to demand a cease-fire in Israel鈥檚 offensive in Gaza. It began after Gaza鈥檚 Hamas rulers launched a surprise attack in southern Israel on Oct. 7 that killed about 1,200 people and led to about 250 others being taken captive. Israel's ongoing military operation has killed more than 31,000 Palestinians, according to the Gaza health ministry.
The Houthi attacks targeting vessels since November, however, have increasingly had little or no connection to Israel, the United States or other nations involved in the war. In the first fatal strike, a Houthi missile struck a commercial ship in the Gulf of Aden last week, killing three of its crew members and forcing survivors to abandon the vessel.
The war between the Houthis and pro-government forces backed by a coalition of Gulf Arab states has raged since 2014 when the Houthis swept down from the mountains, seized much of northern Yemen and the country鈥檚 capital, Sanaa, and forced the internationally recognized government to flee into exile to Saudi Arabia. Since then, more than 150,000 people have been killed by the violence and 3 million have been displaced.
Fighting has decreased markedly in Yemen since a truce in April 2022, but there are still hotspots in the country.
Grundberg, who has been trying to mediate a cease-fire and launch a political process, told the council that the UN had hoped, 鈥渁nd Yemenis had expected,鈥� that by the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which began several days ago, 鈥渨e would have had an agreement on a nationwide cease-fire and measures to improve living conditions in Yemen.鈥�
The UN envoy said he also had hoped to be briefing council members about preparations 鈥渇or an inclusive political process.鈥�
But with the ongoing Gaza War and continuing Houthi attacks, he warned the council that 鈥渢he longer the escalatory environment continues, the more challenging Yemen鈥檚 mediation space will become.鈥�
鈥淲ith more interests at play, the parties to the conflict in Yemen are more likely to shift calculations and alter their negotiation agendas,鈥� he said. 鈥淚n a worst-case scenario, the parties could decide to engage in risky military adventurism that propels Yemen back into a new cycle of war.鈥�
Edem Wosornu, the UN humanitarian office鈥檚 operations director, said positive progress in Yemen after the UN-brokered truce in 2022 is now 鈥渁t risk of unravelling.鈥�
鈥淟evels of food insecurity and malnutrition have surged in recent months, posing a real and increasing threat to the lives and well-being of millions of people, particularly women and children,鈥� she said.
Wosornu pointed to an 11% increase in food insecurity since last November in assessments by the UN children鈥檚 agency UNICEF and the UN World Food Program that food insecurity in Yemen has increased by 11% since last November.
That assessment also found that nearly half of all children in Yemen under the age of five are experiencing moderate to severe stunting in growth and development 鈥� a 4% increase since 2022, 鈥渁nd more than double the global stunting prevalence,鈥� she said.
Because of a lack of funds, the World Food Program has cut the number of people receiving aid in government-controlled areas and the size of rations, Wosornu said. In Houthi-controlled areas, WFP suspended food assistance to 9.5 million people in November while it continued discussions on who to prioritize for aid.
Agreement has been reached on 鈥渁 pilot retargeting exercise鈥� in Houthi areas, and if it succeeds, she said a broader resumption of food distribution will take place depending on available funding.
WFP is appealing for US$230 million over the next five months to provide food for the most vulnerable families in Houthi-controlled areas and Wosornu urged donors to step up.
