UN Special Envoy Hans Grundberg tells the Security Council Yemen has returned to full-scale war

9 October 2026

Hans Grundberg, the UN Special Envoy for Yemen, told the UN Security Council that the country has slipped back into full-scale war between Houthi forces and the internationally recognised government. Civilians, women and children among them, are carrying the heaviest cost, he said, and the moment to weigh political options is now, unless war is to become Yemen's permanent condition. Gains on the battlefield, he argued, are no substitute for talks, and he asked Council members to back mediation. He also described the security of the region, the freedom to navigate and keeping world trade safe as concerns that are legitimate. Figures placed before the Council show at least 46 civilians killed and more than 130 hurt since August, with children bearing a disproportionate share. Abdullah Ali Fadhel al-Saadi, Yemen's representative at the UN, said the Houthi threat has ceased to be a purely internal Yemeni matter. Abdulaziz al-Wasil, representing Saudi Arabia, described the situation as a dangerous escalation.