24 September 2026
UN Human Rights Chief Volker
Türk said today he was appalled by the growing toll on
civilians arising from the deepening conflict in Yemen
between the ‘Ansar Allah’ armed group, the Government of
Yemen and affiliated forces. He decried the increased
suffering and fear brought on the already exhausted
population.
Ground fighting, artillery fire and
airstrikes, including drone and missile strikes, have killed
and wounded at least 125 civilians since a wave of new
attacks by ‘Ansar Allah’ at the start of August. The
renewed hostilities have forced large-scale displacement of
civilians, some of whom have fled the country, further
damaged the already fragile civilian infrastructure, and
limited civilian access to essential services.
“As
if the people of Yemen haven’t already endured enough
misery, civilians are now bearing the brunt of this latest
upsurge in fighting. Many are being forced to flee for their
lives,” said Türk.
“Civilians must never be
targeted, and their protection must be the overriding
priority.”
The UN Human Rights Office has documented
the killings of 32 civilians, including 15 children and
three women, since the start of August. About 125,000 people
have been displaced by the renewed violence. The Office has
also documented three reported attacks by ‘Ansar Allah’
forces on sites hosting internally displaced people in
Ma’rib Governorate on 7 August and 7 and 9
September.
International humanitarian law applies to
all parties to the conflict and the rights of all those in
Yemen must be respected and protected regardless of where
they live.
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“Warring parties must distinguish at all
times between civilians and combatants and between civilian
objects and military objectives; respect the principles of
proportionality and precaution; and take all feasible
measures to prevent or minimize civilian harm,” the High
Commissioner said.
“Nor do warnings or the
designation of so-called ‘kill zones’, as recently
declared by the Government of Yemen, remove the protection
afforded to civilians and civilian objects.”
Türk
called on all parties to allow and facilitate rapid and
unimpeded humanitarian relief for civilians in need.
“People fleeing the fighting, as well as those already
displaced, must be protected and have safe access to food,
water, shelter, healthcare and other essential services,”
he said.
“I urge all parties to step back from
further escalation, respect and protect civilians and
civilian infrastructure, and ensure that humanitarian
assistance reaches all those who need it,” the High
Commissioner added. “The people of Yemen cannot withstand
another full-scale conflict.”
Alongside the grave
concerns about the escalation of hostilities, Türk also
insisted on the immediate release of the 73 UN staff
members, as well as others, arbitrarily detained by the
‘Ansar Allah’ group – some for many years. “Their
ongoing detention, wholly outside the protection of the law,
is intolerable and unacceptable. I fear even further for
their safety amid this renewed fighting,” he
said.
