UN condemns the attempted Houthi strike on Riyadh as displacement in Yemen nears 130,000
21 September 2026
UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric on 21 September 2026 condemned continued Houthi cross-border attacks on Saudi Arabia, including an attempt to target Riyadh.
Since early September Houthi forces have pushed along Yemen's Red Sea coast and seized territory near the Bab al-Mandab Strait, and Saudi Arabia has responded with hundreds of air strikes.
Nearly 130,000 people have been displaced in the past few weeks, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM); the figure was 118,086 on 18 September.
Ta'iz hosts the most displaced people (73,494), followed by Lahj (33,828).
UN Special Envoy Hans Grundberg was in Muscat for talks with Omani officials and Houthi representatives.
In plain words
IOM International Organization for Migration — The UN-related agency that works on migration and tracks displacement.
Houthis — An armed movement that controls much of northern Yemen, including Sanaa.