Yemen: UN warns of escalation amid Houthi attacks

In light of recent attacks by Huthi rebels in the Red Sea, the UN special envoy for Yemen demanded on Wednesday that prompt measures be taken to break the “dangerous escalatory cycle” in the war-torn nation. US and British air raids have been triggered by the rebels’ violent provocations. The rebels claim that by assaulting shipping, they are demonstrating their solidarity with the Palestinians in Gaza. “I am engaging the Yemeni parties and relevant regional actors to support deescalation in the Red Sea to protect the mediation space in Yemen,” Hans Grundberg told the UN Security Council. “Three things need to happen in the immediate term to create an off-ramp to this dangerous escalatory cycle,” Grundberg added. He demanded a stop to “military opportunism” on a regional level, the protection of the progress made toward a mediated settlement, and all parties to desist from using force. Since 2015, when they took control of most of Yemen’s major centers including the capital Sanaa, the Huthis, who are supported by Iran, have been engaged in combat with a coalition led by Saudi Arabia. This prompted the internationally recognized government of Yemen to flee to Aden. Painstaking negotiations were making progress as late as December, according to the UN, which stated that the warring parties had decided to work toward “the resumption of an inclusive political process.” The peace process has been upended by Huthi attacks in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, in addition to Western reprisal. Hundreds of thousands of people have died in the fighting and from indirect causes such as disease and malnutrition. More than 18 million Yemenis need “urgent support,” according to the UN’s humanitarian agency OCHA. The Huthis’ attacks have prompted some shipping companies to detour around southern Africa to avoid the Red Sea, a vital route that normally carries about 12 percent of global maritime trade. “Yemen is not a footnote to a wider regional story,” Grundberg warned. “The regional escalation does not negate the urgent needs in Yemen for a nationwide ceasefire.” (With agency inputs)