UN Special Envoy for Yemen, Hans Grundberg, warned the Security Council on August 14 that Yemen is now closer to the threshold of a return to full-scale war than at any time since the ceasefire was signed in 2022.
According to Grundberg, military operations have increased on previously frozen frontlines in recent days, with attacks causing casualties among both military and civilians. Iran-aligned Houthi forces have clashed with government troops in the areas of Marib, Hadramout, al-Makha (Mocha), and elsewhere.
The internationally recognized government forces, based in Aden, reported repelling a Houthi attack on Taiz. On August 13, the government also announced artillery and drone strikes against Houthi forces in multiple provinces.
The same day, the Chairman of Yemen's Presidential Leadership Council declared that any Houthi action would be met with a "comprehensive or deterrence response."
Envoy Grundberg called on the parties to immediately de-escalate and move toward a durable ceasefire. He also warned that new Houthi attacks on ships in the Red Sea could drag Yemen into a broader regional confrontation between the United States and Iran.
On the economic front, Grundberg emphasized the need for "economic de-escalation" for Yemen's economy, which has been devastated after a decade of civil war. He urged the warring parties to cooperate to ensure commercial vessels continue to call at Yemeni ports, allowing the resumption of oil exports and the restoration of commercial flights to the Houthi-controlled Sanaa airport. "Both sides would benefit more from cooperation than confrontation," he said.
The Yemen conflict originated from the Houthi takeover of the capital Sanaa in 2014, leading to a Saudi Arabia-led military intervention the following year, which dragged into a multi-year war. The ceasefire reached in 2022 has since been largely maintained. However, Grundberg stated that progress toward a lasting peace agreement has stalled since 2023 when regional tensions escalated.
The renewed fighting is exacerbating Yemen's humanitarian crisis. The UN's top humanitarian official, Tom Fletcher, said more than half of Yemen's population lacks adequate access to food, with 6 million people facing "emergency" levels of deprivation nearing famine. Women are disproportionately affected, with three dying each day from preventable pregnancy-related complications.
The British government also condemned the Houthis for the humanitarian crisis and criticized their deadly attacks on international shipping and Saudi Arabia. The UK's Permanent Representative to the UN, Sarah MacIntosh, called on the Houthis to focus on peace and alleviating the suffering of the Yemeni people rather than dragging the country into a broader regional conflict.
On August 14, the Houthis claimed responsibility for a drone attack on an oil refinery in Saudi Arabia's Jazan province. A Houthi military source said the attack was in response to Saudi violations of Yemen's airspace and sovereignty in Saada and Hajjah. This is the latest in a series of drone, air, and missile attacks between the two sides since the Houthis declared a blockade on Saudi ships in the Red Sea on July 20.
