UN says Yemen risks being dragged into Mideast conflict that could spiral out of control
Yemen risks being dragged further into the military escalation in the Middle East and could spiral out of control, the U.N. special envoy for the Arab world’s poorest nation says
UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Yemen risks being dragged further into the military escalation in the Middle East that keeps intensifying and could spiral out of control, the U.N. special envoy for the Arab world’s poorest nation said Tuesday.
Hans Grundberg told the U.N. Security Council that regrettably Yemen is part of the escalation — and he warned that repeated attacks on international shipping by its Houthi rebels “have significantly increased the risk of an environment disaster” in the Red Sea.
Both Grundberg and the U.N.’s acting humanitarian chief Joyce Msuya urged the Iranian-backed Houthis to halt their attacks on international shipping, which the rebel group began to support fellow Iranian-backed militant group Hamas after its Oct. 7 attack in Israel that sparked Israel’s ongoing war in Gaza.
The U.N. officials also demanded the release of dozens of U.N. personnel, staff of non-governmental organizations and diplomatic missions, and members of civil society, most detained since June.
