UN Slams Houthi Strike on Riyadh While Yemen Crisis Deepens With 130,000 Displaced
UNITED NATIONS, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 22nd Sep, 2026) The United Nations has condemned continued cross-border attacks by Houthi forces against Saudi Arabia, including an attempted strike on the capital Riyadh, as fighting inside Yemen drives one of the country’s fastest displacement surges in years.
Condemnation of Houthi Attacks
"We reiterate our condemnation of the continued Houthi cross-border attacks against Saudi Arabia, including the attempt to target Riyadh,” UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric told reporters at the daily noon briefing. He added that Houthi forces had also struck civilians and energy infrastructure elsewhere in the kingdom.
Concerns Over Military Escalation
Dujarric expressed the UN's deep concern about the military escalation in and around Yemen, including Houthi offensives against Saudi-backed Government forces in Ta’iz, Lahj and Marib. The UN called on all parties to exercise restraint and uphold their obligations under international humanitarian law.
Diplomatic Efforts and Escalation
The UN’s Special Envoy for Yemen, Hans Grundberg, is in Muscat this week for talks with senior Omani officials and Houthi representatives. The escalation follows a new wave of clashes between Saudi-backed Yemeni Government forces and Houthi militia.
Displaced Persons and Humanitarian Impact
Since early September, Houthi forces have pushed along Yemen’s Red Sea coastline and seized territory near the Bab al-Mandab Strait. Saudi Arabia has responded with hundreds of air strikes, and the Houthis have retaliated with drone and missile attacks in southwestern Saudi Arabia.
According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), nearly 130,000 people have now been forced from their homes across Yemen in the past few weeks. The numbers are climbing fast, with over 21,000 households displaced across the country since 1 August, most of them in Ta’iz and Lahj.
Humanitarian Needs
These latest movements add to a decade of conflict, economic collapse and environmental disaster that had already displaced 4.8 million Yemenis, according to the UN refugee agency, UNHCR. Health workers are also facing significant challenges. On Friday, ambulances were attacked in Lahj governorate, killing a driver and an emergency medical responder. Nine health facilities have been damaged, closed or directly attacked in Ta’iz, Lahj and Al Hodeidah, and hospitals treating the wounded are running short of blood, anaesthesia and surgical supplies, OCHA said.
Call for Restraint and Respect for Humanitarian Law
The UN reproductive health agency (UNFPA) estimates that more than 2,700 pregnant women are among the displaced, with 300 directly affected by recent fighting.