Antonio Guterres remains 'deeply concerned' about risk of further escalation in region, his associate spokesperson says
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemns the recent escalation in hostilities between Yemen and Israel, his associate spokesperson said Thursday.
"Israeli airstrikes today on Sana'a International Airport, the Red Sea ports and power stations in Yemen are especially alarming," Stephanie Tremblay told reporters.
The airstrikes reportedly killed at least three people and left dozens injured, Tremblay said.
Her remarks came after Israel struck the airport as World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus was about to board a flight. Tedros and his team were unharmed.
The WHO chief was in Yemen to negotiate the release of UN staffers who have been held hostage by the Houthi group for several months and assess the health and humanitarian situation in the war-torn country.
"The Secretary-General remains deeply concerned about the risk of further escalation in the region and reiterates his call for all parties concerned to cease all military actions and exercise utmost restraint," Tremblay said.
Guterres also warned that airstrikes on Yemen's Red Sea ports and Sana'a airport pose "grave risks" to humanitarian operations at a time when millions of people are in need of life-saving assistance, she added.
- 'Further escalation undermines mediation efforts in Yemen'
Stressing that further escalation in the region continues to undermine mediation efforts led by the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Yemen, Hans Grundberg, to reach a negotiated political solution to the conflict there, Tremblay said Guterres called for the "immediate and unconditional" release of all UN and other personnel arbitrarily detained by the Houthis.
Tremblay confirmed that a humanitarian worker was injured in the Israeli airstrikes on the airport.
"Our colleague who was injured is receiving medical treatment. He's in a hospital right now, but everybody else is safe and sound and accounted for," she added.
The spokeswoman underlined that the WHO chief and his delegation is still in Sana'a.
"There will be assessments to be made tomorrow morning. It's nighttime right now in Yemen. So tomorrow they will assess the airport's condition and whether Mr. Tedros is able to leave," she added.
Asked whether the UN expressed condemnation directly to Israel over the attack, Tremblay said: "Right now, what we have is this statement, and I'm sure that contacts at the ground level and here will also be made."
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned Thursday that Israeli strikes on the Houthis would continue "until the job is done," according to local media.
The Houthis have targeted Israel as well as Israeli-linked shipping and naval vessels in the Red Sea in solidarity with the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip, where Israel has killed more than 45,000 people since an Oct. 7, 2023 cross-border attack by the Palestinian group Hamas.
The US and UK have also been bombing Houthi targets in Yemen.
