Yemen risks return to ‘full-scale conflict’ if Houthi strikes continue, UN rights chief warns

UN Rights Chief Sounds Alarm as Yemen Brinkles Toward Full-Scale War

Poinews.com – Volker Türk, head of the UN human rights office, issued a stark warning on Monday that Yemen could be dragged back into all-out war if the current surge in violence is not checked. The call came as civilian casualties mounted across the Arabian Peninsula’s poorest nation, which has endured more than a decade of internal conflict.

“I call on all parties to de-escalate tensions and spare the Yemeni people from further misery. The Yemeni people have already suffered way too much from the devastating legacy of years of conflict, displacement and humanitarian crisis.”

“I urge all parties to halt immediately any actions that risk returning Yemen to full-scale conflict.”

How the Truce Collapsed

Last month, the Tehran-backed Houthi movement shattered the 2022 ceasefire it had maintained with the Saudi-backed government, pulling Yemen into the broader Iran war. Since then, the group has intensified strikes across territories it controls, reviving fears of a comprehensive resumption of hostilities.

Deadliest Attacks in Years

In early August, Houthi forces carried out what a military source described as their most lethal offensives in recent memory, killing 58 government soldiers primarily in the oil-rich Marib province. On that same day, two civilians lost their lives when Houthi shells struck residential neighbourhoods and displacement camps in the same area.

The UN rights office tallied at least seven civilian deaths and ten injuries resulting from Houthi strikes on government-held zones from 6 August onward. Separately, two civilians were reported wounded in Houthi-controlled territory during late July.

Strikes on Ports and Shipping Lanes

On 9 August, Houthi missiles and drones hit the Red Sea port of Mokha, killing three port workers and wounding four more. Two days later, on 11 August, the group struck a cargo vessel transiting the Bab al-Mandeb Strait. Four crew members were killed — three Pakistani nationals and one Indonesian — while several others sustained injuries.

The rights office noted that numerous civilian installations were also struck during these operations, including fuel depots and a residential compound attached to the Saudi Field Hospital in Mokha.

A Humanitarian Crisis Deepening

Türk underscored that the targeting of civilian infrastructure threatens to worsen suffering for a population already under severe strain, noting that at least 18 million Yemenis currently face food insecurity.