SANAA, 29 December 2021, (TON): The United Nations warned that human rights violations will not go on with “impunity” in war-torn Yemen.

UN Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Yemen, Hans Grundberg, said in a statement “we stress that violations of international humanitarian and human rights law in Yemen cannot continue with impunity.”

The UN envoy “denounced the recent major military escalation in Yemen”, and urged the warring sides “to immediately de-escalate”.

Grundberg warned “the ongoing escalation undermines the prospects of reaching a sustainable political settlement to end the conflict in Yemen.”

Yemen has been engulfed by violence and instability since 2014, when Iran-aligned Houthi rebels captured much of the country, including the capital Sanaa.

A Saudi-led coalition aimed at reinstating the Yemeni government has worsened the situation, causing one of the world’s worst man-made humanitarian crises, with nearly 80% or about 30 million needing humanitarian assistance and protection, and more than 13 million in danger of starvation, according to UN estimates.

Since February, Houthi rebels have stepped up attacks to take control of the oil-rich Marib province, one of the most important strongholds of the legitimate government and home to the headquarters of Yemen’s Defense Ministry.