UN Rights Chief Warns Yemen Escalation Is Putting Civilians at Risk

The incidents occurred on 7 August, when an Ansar Allah missile struck the Jaw al-Naseem camp for internally displaced people in Ma’rib, injuring six civilians, including a child.

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk has voiced alarm over a growing number of civilian deaths and injuries in Yemen as hostilities intensify, calling on all parties to show restraint and prevent the country from sliding back into full-scale conflict. His warning comes as missile and drone attacks have struck displacement camps, port facilities and other civilian locations, adding fresh pressure to a population already living with years of war, displacement, hunger and economic hardship.

At least 17 civilian casualties linked to attacks by Ansar Allah, also known as the Houthis, have been reported in areas controlled by Yemen's internationally recognised Government since 6 August, according to the UN Human Rights Office. Two additional civilian casualties were reported in Ansar Allah-controlled areas in late July, while the UN continues to verify reports from more recent incidents.

Displacement camp and port attacks raise concern

The incident occurred on 7 August, when an Ansar Allah missile struck the Jaw al-Naseem camp for internally displaced people in Ma'rib, injuring six civilians, including a child. The attack placed people who had already been forced from their homes by Yemen's prolonged conflict in renewed danger, highlighting the fragile conditions faced by displaced families even in locations intended to provide shelter.

Two days later, missile and drone attacks struck Al-Mokha port in Ta'izz Governorate, killing three port workers and injuring four other people. The UN Human Rights Office is also examining reports of additional attacks on the port on 14 and 15 August that may have caused further civilian casualties.

Türk called on all sides to immediately reduce tensions and avoid actions that could undo efforts to keep Yemen from returning to widespread warfare. He said Yemenis had already endured immense suffering from years of conflict, mass displacement and a humanitarian emergency that continues to affect millions of people.

Cargo ship attack adds to civilian death toll

Violence has also affected maritime traffic around one of the world's strategically important shipping routes. An Ansar Allah attack on a cargo ship in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait on 11 August reportedly killed four crew members and injured several others. The four people killed were identified as three Pakistani nationals and one Indonesian national.

The UN Human Rights Chief stressed that every party involved in the hostilities is required to respect international humanitarian law and international human rights law. This includes avoiding attacks directed at civilians and civilian objects while taking all feasible precautions to prevent or minimise civilian deaths, injuries and destruction of infrastructure.

Reports indicate that several civilian sites have been affected during the latest hostilities, including fuel storage facilities and a residential compound at the Saudi Field Hospital in Mokha. Damage to such facilities can have consequences far beyond the immediate impact of an attack because disruption to fuel supplies, healthcare and transport can make daily survival harder for communities already struggling to meet basic needs.

Food insecurity makes renewed fighting even more dangerous

The latest escalation is unfolding against an already severe humanitarian backdrop, with at least 18 million people in Yemen facing food insecurity. Damage to ports, fuel facilities and other infrastructure risks disrupting the movement of food, medicine and essential supplies, increasing hardship for households whose ability to cope has been weakened by years of instability.

Türk warned that attacks on civilian infrastructure could deepen suffering at a moment when millions of Yemenis remain dependent on reliable access to essential goods and humanitarian support. He called for such attacks to stop immediately and urged all parties to recognise the consequences that renewed large-scale fighting would have for ordinary people.

His appeal places civilian protection at the centre of efforts to prevent another major deterioration in Yemen's conflict. With casualties already being recorded across different areas and reports of additional incidents still under verification, the UN Human Rights Chief's message was clear: further escalation risks pushing civilians back into a level of violence and insecurity they have already endured for years.