UN Envoy Warns Yemen Has Returned To ‘Full-Scale War’, Urges Dialogue

Hans Grundberg, the United Nations Special Envoy to Yemen, has said that Yemen has gone back into “full-scale war” as Houthis and internationally recognised government forces backed by Saudi Arabia continue fighting.

At the meeting of the UN Security Council on Friday, which was called to discuss the situation in Yemen, Grundberg said civilians, including women and children, were in the centre of the “brunt of escalating violence,” according to Al Jazeera.

Grundberg said, “Ongoing instability in the Middle East continues to impact dynamics in Yemen, while developments in Yemen, in turn, reverberate across the region.”

He further added, “Regional security, freedom of navigation and the protection of international trade are legitimate concerns that must be addressed. International engagement on Yemen must also be grounded in the realities of Yemen and the needs and aspirations of its people. ”

While asking the Security Council members to actively work and support mediation efforts, he said, “Ultimately, gains on the battlefield cannot substitute for the negotiations that will be required to settle the conflict.” The envoy further added that “unless war is to become Yemen’s permanent reality, the time to consider political strategies is now.”

Fighting Continues in Yemen

At least 46 civilians have been killed and over 130 injured since August as ongoing clashes continue, according to the UN, with children suffering a disproportionate share of the casualties. On Friday, the Saudi Civil Aviation Authority reported that King Khalid International Airport, north of Riyadh, was hit twice on Thursday, leaving three Saudi citizens dead.

Al Jazeera reported that Gulf nations and European countries condemned the airport strike, with Switzerland’s Federal Department of Foreign Affairs calling the assault "unacceptable."

Fighting between the two sides erupted again this year after Iran sent a plane carrying a Houthi delegation to Sanaa. On July 13, 2026, Saudi-led coalition and Yemeni government forces fired five missiles at the Sanaa International Airport runway, blocking the Iranian aircraft from landing and effectively ending a four-year ceasefire.

In retaliation, the Houthis declared a naval blockade on Saudi Arabia while launching attacks on both Saudi territory and commercial shipping. Houthi forces subsequently captured significant territory along Yemen's Red Sea coast following heavy clashes with Saudi-backed government troops.