The United Nations envoy for Yemen, Hans Grundberg, has held talks with Houthi negotiators in Oman as diplomatic efforts intensify to prevent further escalation in Yemen.
Grundberg said he met with the Houthis’ chief negotiator, Mohammed Abdul-Salam, in Muscat over the weekend. He also held discussions in Riyadh with Yemen’s internationally recognised government and regional representatives, including Saudi Arabia.
The talks come amid a sharp escalation in fighting between the Iran-backed Houthis and Saudi-supported government forces along Yemen’s western coast.
Grundberg said his meeting with the Houthis was aimed at exploring ways to prevent the current escalation from becoming even more serious.
“We need to see if there are ways of how to avoid seeing the current escalation go even further,” he said in an interview with The Associated Press.
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FIGHTING INTENSIFIES
The renewed violence marks a major setback to the relative calm established after a 2022 ceasefire largely halted major fighting in Yemen.
The conflict began in 2014 after the Houthis seized control of the capital, Sanaa, forcing the internationally recognised government to operate from exile in Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia entered the conflict the following year at the head of a multinational coalition.
In September, the Houthis advanced along Yemen’s Red Sea coast and captured the strategic port city of Mokha and several Red Sea islands, according to the UN and Associated Press. The advance has extended Houthi control towards the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, one of the world’s most important maritime routes.
Grundberg described the latest escalation as “unprecedented” and “dramatic”, while warning that the shifting front lines along the Red Sea were creating additional risks for regional stability and international shipping.
RISING HUMANITARIAN TOLL
The renewed fighting has caused a significant humanitarian impact.
According to figures cited by the United Nations, the latest escalation has killed at least 838 peopleand wounded more than 3,640 others. More than 145,000 people have been displaced inside Yemen, while more than 3,000 others have reportedly crossed the Red Sea into Djibouti.
The violence has also raised concerns about access to humanitarian assistance as communities in affected areas face further displacement and insecurity.
The UN Office of the Special Envoy for Yemen has continued to call for a peaceful, inclusive and Yemeni-led political process to resolve the conflict.
THREAT TO RED SEA SHIPPING
The Houthi advance has also increased concerns about maritime security.
The Bab el-Mandeb Strait links the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden and is a key route for international commerce. Grundberg said the movement of fighting towards the Red Sea was particularly concerning because the area contains sensitive front lines close to major maritime corridors.
“We’ve seen attacks also on commercial shipping in the Red Sea, and it’s a development that is alarming and that should be a concern for the Security Council,” Grundberg said.
The Houthis have also intensified attacks across the border into Saudi Arabia, including attacks affecting oil facilities, according to recent reporting. The UN Security Council has condemned continued Houthi attacks affecting Saudi civilian and energy infrastructure.
DIPLOMATIC EFFORTS CONTINUE
Grundberg said Yemen’s conflict has become increasingly connected to wider tensions across the Middle East, including the conflict involving Iran, the United States and Israel.
However, the UN envoy has stressed the need to prevent Yemen from becoming further entangled in wider regional conflicts.
The latest meetings in Muscat and Riyadh do not represent a peace agreement. Instead, they form part of continuing diplomatic efforts to contain the escalation and create conditions for a negotiated, Yemeni-led political settlement.
