Yemen: Emergency Briefing
This afternoon (10 September), the Security Council will hold an emergency briefing on Yemen. Bahrain and the UK (the penholder on Yemen) requested the meeting in response to attacks by the Houthi rebel group on Saudi Arabia. UN Special Envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg is the anticipated briefer. Saudi Arabia and Yemen are expected to participate in the meeting under rule 37 of the Council’s provisional rules of procedure.
The meeting will take place against the backdrop of a heightened escalation in hostilities between the Houthis and Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces, following the relative calm that had prevailed in Yemen since the UN-mediated truce of 2022. On 8 September, the Houthis launched a series of missile and drone attacks against several locations in southern Saudi Arabia, targeting what the group described as oil and economic facilities as well as a military air base. The attacks reportedly injured 73 people, including women and children, and caused fires and temporary operational disruptions at several energy facilities, including a large oil refinery in the city of Jazan. The Houthis framed the attack as a retaliation to what they said was a Saudi strike on a prison in the Yemeni governorate of al-Jawf that killed seven people, including one child.
Saudi Arabia condemned the Houthi attacks, affirmed its right to defend its sovereignty, and called on the international community to implement relevant Council resolutions, including resolution 2216 of 14 April 2015 that imposed a targeted arms embargo on the Houthis and resolution 2722 of 10 January 2024, which demanded that the Houthis cease attacks on commercial shipping. Additionally, Major General Turki Al-Malki, the spokesperson for the Saudi-led “Coalition to Support Legitimacy in Yemen”, said that the coalition would “take all necessary operational measures” to confront further hostilities against Saudi territory.
These latest strikes follow several weeks of intensified fighting in Yemen. Hostilities resumed in July after the Saudi-led coalition prevented an Iranian aircraft that had not been authorised by the Yemeni government from landing in Houthi-controlled Sana’a. This led to Houthi attacks against Saudi Arabia. Subsequently, the group declared a naval blockade against Saudi-linked shipping in the Red Sea and struck commercial vessels transiting the Bab al-Mandab Strait—a maritime corridor connecting the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden—including a deadly attack on a Tanzanian-flagged vessel on 11 August that killed at least six people. Furthermore, in recent days, the Houthis have launched an offensive to gain increased strategic leverage over the Red Sea and the Strait. Yemeni government-aligned forces have responded with a counteroffensive targeting the Houthis in western and northern Yemen, with Yemeni officials stating that the objective is to retake Sana’a from the group.
This escalation is taking place amid a wider regional conflict that began with US-Israeli strikes against Iran in February. The Houthis are supported by Iran and have increasingly linked their military activities to developments elsewhere in the region, including in Gaza, Lebanon, and the Strait of Hormuz. The renewed attacks on Saudi Arabia come at a particularly sensitive time, as fighting around the Strait of Hormuz has severely disrupted regional energy and shipping flows. Saudi Arabia has become increasingly reliant on the Red Sea route to transport oil as maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has been disrupted, raising concerns that a further deterioration in Yemen could threaten another major regional maritime chokepoint.
At today’s meeting, Grundberg is likely to emphasise that the latest escalation risks widening the conflict and bringing about a return to sustained large-scale conflict in Yemen. He may reiterate messages from his 7 September statement, in which he called on the parties to cease hostilities, exercise maximum restraint, and make use of existing mechanisms, including the UN-backed Military Coordination Committee (MCC), to prevent further escalation. (The MCC, which is overseen by the Office of the Special Envoy, facilitates dialogue between Houthi and Yemeni government forces.) Grundberg may also condemn the Houthi attacks against Saudi civilian and energy infrastructure, while calling on all parties to uphold their obligations under international humanitarian law and to refrain from attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure. He is likely to warn that the current trajectory threatens devastating consequences for Yemen’s already dire humanitarian situation and its beleaguered economy, further imperilling civilians. The Special Envoy may urge the parties and influential international actors to take steps to contain the escalation and return to dialogue and political negotiations under UN auspices.
Similarly, Council members are likely to condemn Houthi attacks against Saudi Arabia and against commercial vessels in the Red Sea, while expressing concern about continued escalation and tensions in Yemen. Members are likely to stress that Houthi actions in the Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandab Strait threaten freedom of navigation and risk further destabilising the global economy at a time when transit through the Strait of Hormuz remains disrupted, while calling on the Houthis to abide by resolution 2722. Additionally, several members are expected to stress their commitment to Yemen’s sovereignty, independence, unity, and territorial integrity, and reaffirm their support for Grundberg’s efforts to facilitate a negotiated, inclusive, and Yemeni-led and Yemeni-owned political settlement.
Some Council members might make a more explicit connection between the Houthis and the wider regional confrontation involving Iran. Members such as Bahrain, France, the UK, and the US may underscore the Houthis’ actions and Iran’s support for the group as central drivers of the crisis. The US, for instance, has sharply criticised the Houthis and their alliance with Iran, accusing the group of initiating the current escalation and of allowing Iran to exploit Yemen to undermine regional security. On the other hand, China and Russia might avoid attributing blame and reiterate their view that lasting stability in Yemen depends on taking into account the interests of all Yemeni parties, and on a broader diplomatic resolution to the conflicts in the Gulf and the region, while cautioning against measures that could further escalate the conflict.
The humanitarian implications of the renewed fighting within Yemen are also expected to feature prominently, with many members likely to express grave concern at the potential impact on civilians. The World Health Organization (WHO) reported that, between 24 August and 6 September, intense hostilities in the Maqbanah and Jabal Habashi districts of Yemen’s Taiz governorate and along the coasts of the Hodeidah and Taiz governorates led to a rise in casualties, including 194 people killed and 884 injured. The UN additionally reported on 8 September that more than 5,600 households had been displaced from Taiz and southern Hodeidah since the most recent escalation began on 3 September, while humanitarian access remains difficult.
Council members are likely to emphasise that the latest conflict-related threats to civilians are taking place against a backdrop of a persistently severe humanitarian and food insecurity crisis in Yemen and substantial funding shortfalls, raising concerns that a return to sustained conflict could further increase humanitarian needs and constrain the ability of humanitarian actors to respond.
