UN envoy warns Yemen conflict escalation

On August 7, 2026, UN Special Envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg warned that Yemen faces a greater risk of renewed large-scale conflict than at any point since the UN-brokered truce of April 2022. He cited recent attacks by the Houthis in Yemen — Marib and Yemen — Hadhramaut, which reportedly caused significant casualties including civilians, as well as renewed attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. Grundberg also expressed concern over strikes on civilian infrastructure, including airports, and heightened regional tensions. He warned that these developments risk jeopardizing the gains of the 2022 truce and could draw Yemen into a broader regional confrontation. Grundberg said he had engaged intensively with Yemeni parties, regional actors, and international partners to explore de-escalation options, and called on all parties to exercise maximum restraint and engage in good-faith negotiations under UN auspices. The Houthis had declared a maritime ban on Saudi shipping in July, citing a Saudi blockade, which Riyadh rejected. The conflict has been ongoing since 2014, with a United States-led coalition intervening in 2015.