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• 2 min de lectura
The United Nations (UN) warned that the increase in fighting in Yemen and around the Bab el-Mandeb strait risks further destabilizing the Red Sea route, while the Government of Yemen urged the Security Council to take stronger measures against the Houthi group.
During an emergency Security Council meeting, UN Assistant Secretary-General Khaled Khiari stated that fighting has intensified along Yemen's western coast as the Houthis advance towards the Bab el-Mandeb strait and claim to have captured several islands in the southern Red Sea.
Although commercial shipping through the Red Sea appears to have been largely unaffected so far, Khiari noted that these developments add to market concerns amid ongoing disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz.
The Assistant Secretary-General added that the Government of Yemen has launched a counter-offensive following Houthi advances, with clashes reported on several fronts.
The escalation has also caused severe damage to the civilian population. UN humanitarian officials estimate that at least 125,000 people have been displaced across Yemen since early September, while the UN human rights office has recorded 40 civilian casualties, including eight deaths.
He also highlighted the growing regional repercussions, including Houthi attacks against Saudi Arabia and bombings that have allegedly damaged Saudi energy infrastructure. He called on all parties to protect civilians, comply with international humanitarian law, and facilitate humanitarian access.
Yemen's representative, Abdullah Ali Fadhel Al-Saadi, stated that the Houthi escalation has become a threat that transcends Yemen's borders, affecting regional security, energy supply, and global trade.
Al-Saadi urged the Council to condemn Houthi attacks, enforce existing arms embargo measures, and support the Yemeni government in re-establishing control over its territory, coastline, ports, and territorial waters.
He also warned that instability around the Bab el-Mandeb strait could create an environment conducive to the trafficking of weapons, drugs, and people, as well as cooperation between militant and organized crime networks.
Khiari emphasized the need for restraint and renewed UN-led political engagement, stating that freedom of navigation in the Red Sea and the Bab el-Mandeb strait must be restored and respected in accordance with international law.
He warned that prolonged disruption of maritime trade could raise costs globally and threaten energy markets, food security, and vulnerable economies, underscoring the urgent need to prevent the Yemen conflict from further spreading into regional and international security.
