European Union Condemns Houthi Military Escalation and Calls for Humanitarian Corridor in (Taiz)

Brussels -- The European Union strongly condemned on Monday the continued military escalation by Houthi militias in Yemen, calling for an immediate halt to all their military operations and the opening of an urgent humanitarian corridor in the city of Taiz to ensure aid reaches civilians under siege there. In a statement issued by High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas on behalf of the member states, the EU expressed its condemnation of Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia, particularly those targeting civilians and civilian infrastructure, reaffirming full solidarity with Saudi Arabia, the Yemeni legitimate government, and both peoples.

The EU announced its intention to increase its assistance to the Yemeni legitimate government and the Presidential Leadership Council, including support for reform efforts, strengthening governance, and addressing the country’s deteriorating economic, humanitarian, and human rights situation. It added that it would allocate an additional 25 million euros to bolster emergency humanitarian aid to the Yemeni people, bringing the total humanitarian support provided in 2026 to 110 million euros.

The statement noted that recent attacks targeting the Ma’ashiq Palace in Aden, the continued siege of Taiz, military movements along Yemen’s western coast, and attacks on Saudi Arabia constitute highly serious acts, demanding an immediate cessation of all Houthi military operations. It called on all parties, including Iran, to cease providing any military support to the Houthis, which constitutes a violation of several UN Security Council resolutions, and reaffirmed the EU’s firm commitment to Yemen’s unity, sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity.

It emphasized that the conflict in Yemen cannot be resolved through military means, reiterating full support for the UN Special Envoy’s efforts and the Organization’s peace initiatives aimed at achieving a comprehensive and sustainable political settlement under Yemeni ownership and leadership, in accordance with relevant Security Council resolutions, particularly Resolution 2216.

The EU warned of the worsening of the catastrophic humanitarian crisis amid shortages and rising costs of basic commodities, food insecurity, and limited access to healthcare and safe drinking water due to Houthi military escalation, noting that more than 22 million people in Yemen require assistance. It urged the Houthis to urgently open a humanitarian corridor in Taiz and ensure that humanitarian aid reaches all those in need safely, swiftly, and without obstacles, stressing the necessity of guaranteeing the safety of humanitarian workers and the immediate release of arbitrarily detained personnel, including 70 UN staff members held by the Houthis in Sana’a.

Regarding maritime security, the EU underscored the importance of protecting maritime security and freedom of navigation in the Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandab Strait in accordance with international law and the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. It strongly condemned all threats and attacks targeting civilian and commercial vessels, citing their danger to regional security and international trade, and affirmed the continued contribution of the European defensive maritime operation (Aspides) to safeguarding freedom of navigation, commercial shipping, and the lives of sailors. (End) ARN / FDS