UN urges restraint in Yemen, warns of civilian risks in Gaza, West Bank

The UN on Friday urged Yemen’s warring parties to exercise restraint amid a sharp escalation in fighting, while expressing deep concern over the safety of civilians in Gaza and the West Bank, Anadolu reports.

UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said the UN was “deeply concerned by the ongoing military clashes across multiple front lines in Yemen, including Ta’izz.”

“We call on the Yemeni parties to exercise restraint, de-escalate tensions, and refrain from actions that could lead to further military escalation,” Dujarric told reporters at the UN headquarters in New York.

He warned that further escalation could have “devastating political, economic, and security ramifications for Yemen and all of its people.”

“The parties must prioritize dialogue and engage constructively with the United Nations-led efforts towards a negotiated political settlement,” he added.

On Lebanon, Dujarric said UN Humanitarian Coordinator Imran Riza visited Nabatieh in southern Lebanon, where he met communities receiving people returning to their homes as well as displaced residents.

Authorities highlighted damage to vital infrastructure, including water and sanitation systems, he said.

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In the village of Mayfadoun, damage to a water well station, including solar panels and pumping equipment, has affected water supplies, according to Dujarric.

He stressed the importance of “early recovery efforts to restore these essential services” and support municipalities and communities seeking to recover.

Dujarric said the UN’s 2026 Lebanon flash appeal ended last month after receiving less than 52% of the requested funding, with $330 million received.

Despite the funding shortfall, humanitarian partners have reached more than 1.2 million people with at least one form of critical assistance since the latest escalation began, including more than 900,000 people who received cash assistance.

“Yet, as Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher stressed, the needs continue, access remains constrained, and many families in Lebanon still cannot return home safely,” he said.

Regarding the Occupied Palestinian Territory, Dujarric said the UN remains “very concerned about the safety of civilians both in the Gaza Strip and in the West Bank.”

He said UN agencies and humanitarian partners in Gaza were helping communities prepare for the rainy season, but “more funding and access are urgently needed.”

Citing World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Dujarric warned that public health risks are growing as winter approaches, with many people still displaced in overcrowded tented sites.

“Gaza’s already overwhelmed health system cannot withstand additional surges in diseases and illness,” Tedros said, according to Dujarric.

In the West Bank, UN humanitarian colleagues reported that more than 6,400 Palestinians have been displaced from 130 communities by occupiers’ violence since 2023. More than 2,500 were displaced this year alone, over half of them children.

Dujarric said the UN’s humanitarian concerns were being compounded by repeated attacks, damage to homes and infrastructure and restrictions on access to land and essential services.

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