The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has warned that escalating hostilities in the Middle East could have “disastrous” consequences for tens of millions of people, calling for urgent efforts to protect civilians.
“Civilians are paying an unacceptable price as a result of military operations in the Middle East,” ICRC President Mirjana Spoljaric said in a statement on Tuesday.
Spoljaric highlighted recent deaths, injuries and destruction in Saudi Arabia, warning of the devastating impact of hostilities on civilians.
In Yemen, deaths, displacement and damage to civilian infrastructure, including in Aden and Sanaa, have been mounting at an “alarming rate”, she said.
“Civilians and civilian objects must be spared from attack,” Spoljaric stressed, reminding parties to conflicts of their obligation under international humanitarian law to distinguish between civilian and military targets.
She warned that strikes on ports, airports and essential infrastructure could have severe consequences for communities that depend on them.
“A further intensification of hostilities would be disastrous for tens of millions of people,” she said, urging immediate de-escalation to prevent further civilian suffering.
Saudi Arabia has faced a series of attacks on airports and civilian facilities in recent days amid an escalating military confrontation with Yemen’s Houthi militia.
Yemen has been at war since the Houthi militia seized the capital, Sanaa, and several provinces in September 2014. A Saudi-led coalition intervened in March 2015 in support of the internationally recognised government.
The latest escalation began in July this year, following a period of relative calm after a UN-brokered truce took effect in April 2022.
