UN chief 'gravely concerned' about US airstrikes in Yemen

WASHINGTON

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has expressed concern over the recent US airstrikes in and around Yemen’s port of Ra’s Isa, his spokesman said Saturday.

Guterres is "gravely concerned about the airstrikes conducted by the United States over the course of 17 and 18 April in and around Yemen’s port of Ra’s Isa, which reportedly resulted in scores of civilian casualties, including five humanitarian workers injured," Stephane Dujarric said in a statement.

His remarks came after US airstrikes targeting the port in Yemen’s Al Hudaydah province late Thursday reportedly killed at least 74 people, including five health care workers.

Guterres is also "alarmed" by reports of significant damage to the port infrastructure and of possible oil leaks into the Red Sea, Dujarric said.

Expressing "deep" concern about the ongoing missile and drone strikes conducted by the Houthis against Israel and in the Red Sea, Guterres called on the group to cease such attacks "immediately."

Underscoring that UN Security Council resolutions related to Houthi attacks on merchant and commercial vessels must be "fully" respected, Guterres also said international law must be respected at all times.

Guterres "remains deeply troubled about the risk of further escalation in the region and continues to urge all to exercise utmost restraint," Dujarric said.

The UN chief also reiterated his call for the "immediate and unconditional" release of all the UN and other personnel arbitrarily detained by the Houthis, according to the statement.