Saudi and Yemeni envoys urge UN to curb Houthi attacks and child recruitment

Saudi Arabia and the internationally recognised Yemeni government jointly appealed to the UN Security Council for measures against the Houthi movement. Abdulaziz al-Wasil, Saudi Arabia's representative, accused the Houthis of escalating attacks on civilians, recruiting children as combatants, and jeopardising maritime traffic in the Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandab Strait. He condemned what he called blatant assaults on Saudi airports and warned that Riyadh will not allow Yemen to serve as a staging ground for threats to its security or to free navigation.

Yemen's envoy, Abdullah Ali Fadhel al-Saadi, stressed that the Houthi threat has become an international concern, calling for practical actions to block the flow of money, arms and technology to the group. He cited more than 100 child fatalities in September, alleged attacks on schools and markets, and the displacement of over 200,000 people, while also condemning recent Houthi strikes on Saudi territory.