UN envoy warns Yemen conflict 'a fault line' for regional instability

HAMILTON, Canada

UN Special Envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg warned Monday that the country's unresolved conflict risks both amplifying regional rivalries and being further destabilized by broader instability in the Middle East.

"Stability in Yemen cannot be separated from the wider dynamics of the region. Yemen's unresolved conflict is like a fault line, sending tremors across its borders and amplifying existing regional rivalries," Grundberg told the UN Security Council.

"In other words, Yemen is both a mirror and a magnifier of the region's volatility. Left unaddressed, its conflict will perpetuate tension far beyond Yemen," he added.

Warning that focusing exclusively on regional concerns could neglect Yemen's internal realities, he said: "At the same time, if Yemen is perceived and addressed primarily through the lens of regional concerns, the voices, the needs, and the aspirations of the Yemenis themselves become sidelined."

Grundberg also denounced the detention of UN staff members by Houthi forces, describing it as "an egregious escalation by Ansar Allah against the United Nations."

He said: "While one has recently been released, there are now over 40 UN personnel detained, in addition to a colleague who died while in detention. I stand in solidarity with all our colleagues who are being held and will continue to work alongside the wider UN family for their unconditional and immediate release."

He further cautioned that "recent military activity in areas such as Al Dhale', Ma'rib, and Ta'iz serves as a warning that miscalculations from either party could trigger a return to full-scale conflict."

Urging all sides to pursue de-escalation, he stressed that "unilateral decisions rarely bring solutions. They harden positions, deepen mistrust, and prolong conflict."

UN relief chief Tom Fletcher painted a dire picture of the humanitarian situation, noting Yemen is now "the third most food insecure country on earth."

"Before February next year, 1 million more people are expected to be forced into extreme hunger, joining 17 million Yemenis with too little to eat," he said.

Noting that almost half of Yemenis are "now suffering severe food deprivation, a jump from 36% just one year ago," Fletcher reported that at least "one in three families is experiencing moderate to severe hunger."

Calling the detention of humanitarian workers "extremely alarming and unacceptable," Fletcher urged: "The immediate release of all colleagues who are arbitrarily detained. If you have any influence, you must use it."

He also appealed for urgent funding, warning: "We must not allow mass hunger to define the future of Yemen."