The ongoing tensions between Yemen and Israel have reached a new peak with the recent escalation of clashes at Sana’a airport. The Israeli strikes targeting the airport, a power plant and Red Sea ports have drawn strong and unanimous condemnation from UN Secretary-General António Guterres.
In an official statement, the Secretary-General’s Associate Spokesperson, Stéphanie Tremblay, called the attacks “shocking” and expressed the UN’s deep concern about the dramatic humanitarian consequences of the violence. At least three people have lost their lives and dozens more have been injured, including a crew member of the UN Humanitarian Air Service.
The Houthis have confirmed that six people were killed in the strikes, including four at Sana’a airport. The Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, was at Sana’a airport at the time of the bombings and was able to attest to his safety.
The worrying situation in the region is seriously undermining the mediation efforts of UN Special Envoy Hans Grunberg to reach a negotiated political solution to the conflict in Yemen. The World Health Organization has also highlighted the serious risks that these attacks pose to essential humanitarian operations for millions of people in need of urgent assistance.
However, Faisal al-Sayani, Deputy Minister of Transport in the rebel administration, has announced the resumption of flights at Sana’a airport, despite ongoing tensions between the two sides.
These recent events highlight the fragility of the situation in the Middle East and underscore the need for concerted and urgent action by the international community to prevent an even more dangerous escalation of violence. Calls for restraint and an immediate cessation of hostilities are growing louder as innocent lives continue to be threatened by armed clashes.