UN Envoy Warns Yemen Faces Growing Risk of Renewed Large-Scale War

Sana’a (Terror Monitor) — The UN special envoy for Yemen, Hans Grundberg, warned Friday that the risk of a renewed large-scale war in Yemen has increased significantly amid escalating violence across the country.

In a post on X, Grundberg said Yemen now faces its highest risk of a return to large-scale conflict since the UN-mediated truce in April 2022.

Grundberg said recent attacks by the Iran-backed Houthi militia in Marib and Hadramout have reportedly killed and wounded large numbers of people, including civilians. Renewed attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden have also contributed to the escalating tensions.

The UN envoy expressed concern over attacks on civilian infrastructure, including airports, as well as the broader escalation of tensions across the region.

He warned that the latest developments could undermine the gains made since the 2022 truce, which brought relative calm to Yemen for several years.

Grundberg also cautioned that the current situation could push Yemen into a wider regional conflict, with potentially devastating consequences for the Yemeni people.

The UN envoy said he has held extensive consultations with Yemeni parties, regional powers and international partners to identify practical ways to de-escalate the situation.

“I still believe that a diplomatic path exists,” Grundberg said, stressing that it would require political commitment, difficult decisions and serious engagement from all sides.

Yemen has remained under an informal ceasefire since 2022, although tensions between the Houthis and Saudi Arabia have intensified in recent weeks. Saudi Arabia supports Yemen’s internationally recognized government.

The conflict began in 2014 when the Houthis seized the capital, Sana’a, and large parts of northern Yemen, plunging the country into a prolonged civil war.