UN official urges restraint after deadly Houthi attacks on Saudi airport

United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Fölker Türk, has issued an urgent appeal to Saudi Arabia and Yemen to prevent further escalation following a series of Houthi attacks on Saudi airports. A particularly deadly strike at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh reportedly resulted in 18 deaths, affecting both Saudi nationals and foreign citizens.

Türk emphasized that attacks targeting civilians and non-military infrastructure violate international humanitarian law and called for investigations to hold those responsible accountable. He warned that continued hostilities would exacerbate the existing humanitarian crisis in Yemen, where over 217,000 people have been displaced due to the ongoing civil war between the Saudi-backed government and Iran-supported Houthi rebels.

Saudi Arabia has vowed a ‘serious’ response to the recent strikes, which have occurred amidst broader regional instability in the Middle East.