After several years of fragile truce, there is a “palpable” fear of a return to all-out war in Yemen, said Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Yemen Hans Grundberg on Thursday, briefing the Security Council.

The “current trajectory is deeply concerning,” he told ambassadors, updating them on the latest political developments in the country, where Houthi rebels – formally known as Ansar Allah – have been battling Government forces backed by a Saudi-led coalition, for more than a decade.

He spoke alongside UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher who updated on the recent humanitarian constraints and emphasised the impact of the worsening situation facing women in the country.

Recent developments

While a resumption of large-scale ground operations in Yemen has not occurred since the UN-mediated truce of April 2022, military activity continues – and the cessation of hostilities is increasingly at risk.

“We have seen a rise in rhetoric from the parties to the conflict, pre-positioning themselves publicly for military confrontation,” explained Mr. Grundberg.

“We must not allow this to happen. Words matter. Intent matters. Signals matter. Mixed messaging and escalatory discourse can have real impacts,” he underscored.

The Special Envoy described recent reports of shelling, drone attacks, infiltration attempts and mobilisation campaigns recently witnessed in Ma’rib as well as in other areas such as Al Jawf, Shabwa and Ta’iz.

He also deplored the Houthis’ arbitrary detention of UN personnel and workers from other organizations – some for years – calling for the immediate and unconditional release of all detainees.

“Some colleagues’ parents have passed away while they have been in detention, without knowing the fate of their children,” he gravely noted.

Humanitarian constraints

Tom Fletcher brought ambassadors’ attention to the recent funding cuts UN agencies have been facing, which “have been a body blow” to aid workers efforts to save lives.

“It is the pace at which so much vital work has been shut down that adds to the perfect storm that we face”, he said.

The Humanitarian Coordinator explained the implications of such cuts, which will put aid workers in impossible situations where they have to choose “which lives not to save”.

Assault on equality

As the world readies itself to celebrate International Women’s Day on 8 March, Mr. Fletcher emphasised the “deliberate pushback against equality” witnessed in Yemen.

The crisis has disproportionately and devastatingly impacted women and girls. In 2021, Yemen ranked second to last in the World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Index. And “there is no sign of progress for them,” Mr. Fletcher noted.

Yemen’s maternal mortality rate is the highest in the Middle East – more than ten times that of Saudi Arabia or Oman. Meanwhile, 1.5 million girls remain out of school, denying them their right to education and preventing them from breaking the cycles of discrimination and violence.

As funding for Yemen evaporates, “the numbers in my next briefings will be worse,” Mr. Fletcher put to the room. And yet, despite bearing the greatest burdens of war, displacement and deprivation, women remain on the frontlines of survival and recovery.

“We will do what we can to support them with the dwindling resources we have,” Mr. Fletcher said.

It is a tough time to be a humanitarian but “much tougher for the people we serve,” he continued. “The decisions you take will determine whether it gets worse,” he told ambassadors.

‘The only way forward’

The now unfolding US designation of Houthis as a Foreign Terrorist Organization has complicated international cooperation in peace efforts.

Preserving “the mediation space for the Yemenis” under the auspices of the UN to reach a just and inclusive peace is crucial, Mr. Grundberg said.

Reiterating his office’s commitment to its role, Mr. Grundberg highlighted that it would convene “the parties at any opportunity to bring an end to this decade-long conflict,” emphasising that any political process needs to include a “broad spectrum of Yemenis”.

“While this is possible to achieve, the environment for this to happen must be conducive,” he said. “Positive developments must be put on a more permanent footing.”

“We owe it to the millions of Yemenis not to waver or falter in our determination on this,” he concluded.