Tawakkol Karman Warns of Looming Full‑Scale War in Yemen, Urges UN Security Council to Act

NEW YORK — August 13,  2026 — Nobel Peace Prize laureate and prominent human rights advocate Tawakkol Karman warned on Thursday that Yemen now faces the “very real” danger of sliding into a new full‑scale war,

amid escalating clashes, Houthi missile strikes inside Yemen and against Saudi Arabia, and renewed assaults on maritime navigation in the Red Sea and Bab al‑Mandab.

Karman said her central message to the UN Security Council was that the root cause of Yemen’s crisis is the collapse of the state. She placed primary responsibility for that collapse on the Houthi militia following its seizure of Sanaa and overthrow of the country’s political transition in 2014. She added that Iran’s military, financial, and logistical support for the Houthis has prolonged the war and undermined prospects for peace.

Karman also pointed to the weak performance of Yemen’s internationally recognized government, the absence of effective governance, and internal divisions as factors that have weakened state institutions and the rule of law. She argued that the Saudi-led coalition’s intervention, together with UAE interventions, further weakened the government, deepened divisions, contributed to the proliferation of armed groups operating outside state authority, and undermined Yemen’s sovereignty.

Karman warned that the continued erosion of state authority is no longer solely a Yemeni crisis, saying it now threatens international maritime navigation and trade, energy security, and global supply chains. She called on the Security Council to press all parties to immediately de-escalate, halt attacks on civilians and infrastructure, and prevent the outbreak of a new full-scale war.

She stressed, however, that de-escalation alone would not be sufficient. Karman called for support for an inclusive, Yemeni-led political process that restores Yemen’s sovereignty and independent national decision-making, rebuilds state institutions, places the military and security institutions under unified state authority, and disarms armed groups. She also called for justice, accountability, and reparations for victims.

Karman further called for the immediate and unconditional release of all arbitrarily detained and abducted persons, unhindered humanitarian access, and independent investigations into crimes committed by all parties. She urged the Security Council to consider establishing a dedicated international judicial mechanism for Yemen to pursue those responsible for war crimes and crimes against humanity.

She further demanded an immediate halt to the transfer of weapons, financing, and military assistance to the Houthis and to all armed groups operating outside legitimate state authority. Karman urged the strict enforcement of existing sanctions against those responsible for perpetuating human rights violations and obstructing peace, as well as against actors undermining Yemen’s sovereignty, unity, and territorial integrity.

Karman emphasized that peace in Yemen “cannot be reduced to a mere ceasefire, nor to the bargaining of power and influence among armed groups and their foreign backers.” She insisted that genuine and lasting peace requires the reestablishment of a single, unified, sovereign, and democratic Yemeni state — one founded on the rule of law and fully accountable to its citizens.