Yemen nears greater conflict

The United Nations has issued a stark warning that recent Houthi attacks on oil-rich areas in Yemen could plunge the nation into a more brutal conflict and exacerbate tensions in the Middle East. The Iran-backed Houthi group launched ballistic missiles and drones targeting strategic regions in Yemen, resulting in at least 10 fatalities on Friday.

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The conditions we face in B.C. right now, in particular in the southern third, are explosive.

According to Yemeni military sources speaking to AFP, the latest assault in Marib claimed the lives of eight government forces and injured 12 others. The Yemeni Health Ministry, supported by Saudi Arabia, stated that the rebels also shelled residential areas and a camp for displaced people in Marib city, causing at least two civilian deaths and 14 injuries. The Houthi group claimed responsibility for targeting forces, depots, vehicles, and military equipment at the Sahn al-Jinn camp using missiles and drones.

These attacks follow a significant increase in violence, with at least 58 government soldiers killed in assaults on military camps in Marib and Hadramawt provinces just a day prior, according to government sources. The Houthi group acknowledged responsibility for Thursday's attacks, asserting they targeted Saudi-backed military sites in both provinces in response to a perceived buildup of Saudi forces preparing to attack Houthi-controlled areas.

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When we see a fire start, when we see the smoke lift, we are going to be challenged and we may see fires do what we saw on this fire last night. I cannot stress enough that the conditions we are facing right now are conditions that we have never seen before.

UN Special Envoy for Yemen, Hans Grundberg, expressed deep concern over the escalating violence. He noted that the recent attacks in Marib and Hadramawt, coupled with renewed assaults on commercial vessels in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, place Yemen at the highest risk of returning to large-scale conflict since the UN-brokered ceasefire in April 2022. Grundberg urged all parties to exercise maximum restraint and engage in UN-led negotiations, warning that the violence could drag Yemen further into a wider regional conflict.

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Homes have been lost, and properties have been destroyed. Some people became trapped as conditions changed very quickly and needed to be rescued. It remains a very dynamic and threatening situation. To everyone affected, you are not alone. British Columbians are with you.