UN Security Council condemns Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia

The UN Security Council adopted a presidential statement on 15 October condemning what it described as escalating Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia, including strikes on airports and Saudi Aramco facilities. It also condemned attacks and threats against commercial ships in the Red Sea and near the Bab al-Mandab strait. The move follows deadly strikes at Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport and renewed fighting in Yemen. [1] [2] [8]

The UN press account says the Council condemned strikes at the airport on 10 and 11 October that killed 13 people and wounded more than 300. The Houthis claimed responsibility for both airport attacks, the Associated Press reported. [1] [7]

The death toll in the UN account is difficult to reconcile with the reports for each day. Saudi Arabia’s civil aviation authority reported 12 deaths from the 10 October attack. India’s public broadcaster, citing its embassy in Riyadh, subsequently reported that an injured Indian national had died, bringing the toll from that attack to 13. The Saudi authority separately reported that a Pakistani resident was killed in the 11 October attack. Together, those accounts indicate at least 14 deaths over the two days. The basis for the UN press account’s figure of 13 is unclear. [1] [4] [5] [6]

The Council urged cooperation to prevent the Houthis from obtaining arms, financing and other assistance for further attacks, and reminded member states of their obligations under a targeted arms embargo imposed in 2015. The statement did not impose a new embargo. According to the UN press account, the Council also affirmed Saudi Arabia’s right to self-defence in accordance with international law and backed an inclusive, Yemeni-led political settlement. It did not describe approval for a specific military operation. [1] [3]

Reuters reported that Saudi Arabia had resumed its military campaign in Yemen in support of the internationally recognised government. The Houthis described their attacks on Saudi targets as retaliation for Saudi strikes on Yemen. Against that backdrop, the Council reiterated its support for UN envoy Hans Grundberg’s efforts towards a negotiated settlement. [8] [1]