UN chief warns Yemen tensions risk wider regional escalation

HAMILTON, Canada

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned on Wednesday that rising tensions in Yemen risk wider regional escalation and called on all parties to exercise restraint and return to dialogue.

"I have just briefed the Security Council on the situation in Yemen, fresh off my visit to the region, including Saudi Arabia and Oman," Guterres told a news conference at UN Headquarters in New York following a closed Council session on Yemen, noting that "tensions have been simmering across Yemen."

He said that "dramatic new developments in the eastern governorates are turning up the heat," after "forces affiliated with the Southern Transitional Council, or STC, advanced on Hadramawt and al-Mahra."

"As I told the Security Council, unilateral actions will not clear a path to peace," Guterres said, adding that "they deepen divisions. Harden positions. And raise the risk of wider escalation and further fragmentation."

Warning of broader consequences, he said: "A full resumption of hostilities could have serious ramifications on regional peace and security, including on the Red Sea, in the Gulf of Aden, and in the Horn of Africa."

"I urge all parties to exercise maximum restraint, de-escalate tensions, and resolve differences through dialogue," he added, stressing that "the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Yemen must be preserved."

Guterres further stressed that "Yemen needs a sustainable, negotiated political settlement" that "embraces the aspirations of all Yemenis and brings this devastating conflict to an end."

Emphasizing the humanitarian toll, he said: "Nearly 4.8 million have fled their homes. And 19.5 million need humanitarian assistance."

He strongly condemned "the continued arbitrary detention of 59 UN colleagues and partner personnel" and said: "I call for their immediate and unconditional release, in accordance with international law."

"The continued detention of our colleagues is a profound injustice," he added, stressing that the UN "must never be targeted, arrested, or detained in connection with their official duties."

Despite challenges, Guterres said the UN remains committed to Yemen, urging parties to "prioritize dialogue over violence."

"The people of Yemen demand and deserve peace," he said.