[Today's Prayer] "Yemen is sinking deeper into Israel’s Middle East war" – UN Envoy Warns

Hans Grundberg, the UN Special Envoy for Yemen, warned on the 9th (local time) that Yemen is becoming increasingly entangled in the crisis of the Middle East war triggered by Israel.

During a briefing at the UN Headquarters Security Council, Grundberg stated, “The ceasefire talks between Iran and Israel are a positive sign and should be welcomed,” but also said that the situation has worsened as Yemen’s Houthi forces launched airstrikes on Israeli territory over the past few weeks.

Following the Houthi attacks, two civilian merchant ships in the Red Sea were shelled earlier this week, resulting in civilian casualties, Grundberg reported.

In response, the Israeli military bombed the Yemeni capital Sana'a, followed by airstrikes on port facilities and a power plant in Hodeidah, Ras Issa, and Salif, he said.

This attack on civilian merchant ships in the Red Sea is the first by the Houthis in nearly seven months.

Grundberg stressed, “Freedom of navigation in the Red Sea must be protected, and civilian infrastructure and vessels must never be made targets of conflict. Above all, Yemen must not be drawn any deeper into this Middle East war triggered by Israel. Yemen is already a country devastated and extremely vulnerable under the threat of an escalating regional war.”

(Omitted)

He mentioned that while the frontlines in Yemen are relatively well-defended at the moment, the repeated clashes have made the situation highly fragile and unpredictable.

(Omitted)

Therefore, Grundberg suggested that ceasefire negotiations for peace should begin without delay.

If the war continues in this state, it will only grow more complex. He emphasized that as internal divisions deepen, both sides must exercise restraint and refrain from unilateral offensives or escalations for the sake of the Yemeni people as a whole.

Thus, both parties must send sincere signals of their intent for a peaceful resolution and demonstrate efforts to implement and maintain a ceasefire, Grundberg said.

He outlined the conditions for peace as: initial efforts to de-escalate frontline combat, a nationwide ceasefire agreement, and continuous dialogue between the parties thereafter.

To ensure the safety of Yemen—including safe passage in the Red Sea—he expressed his willingness to mediate not only in the Middle East but also with the broader international community. He emphasized that both the people of Yemen and the international community must have confidence and follow this peace process.

(Ending omitted)

Source: Newsis

Jesus entered the temple and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves. “It is written,” He said to them, “‘My house will be called a house of prayer,’ but you are making it ‘a den of robbers.’” (Matthew 21:12–13)

As the Iran-Israel ceasefire talks bring gradual stability to the Middle East, we hear news that the unrelenting airstrikes by Yemen’s Houthi forces toward Israeli territory have worsened the situation. The UN Envoy warns that if the Houthis escalate further, Yemen’s future will become even more uncertain.

Lord, have mercy on the selfish conditions of the Middle East, where despite Jerusalem being called the City of Peace, neighboring countries are devastated by war—yet continue the conflict driven by their own desires.

We pray that Iran’s manipulative strategies, using the Yemen-Israel war as a tool of advantage, be thwarted. Expose the Houthi rebels' violent actions—akin to banditry—as they try to gain full control of Yemen.

Despite unresolved internal divisions in Yemen, the Houthis persist in their attacks on Israeli soil. In a nation where even the safety of its own people is not assured, let the feet of those carrying the Gospel continue forward, and let prayers arise to purify every corner of Yemen.

May the Arab and Yemeni churches, who believe that God has established Yemen as a house of prayer for the LORD, rise up and overturn this spiritual atmosphere, sparking a prayer movement for the sanctification of Yemeni cities.

We pray that true Shalom will come to Yemen and Israel, and that global workers will be sent to proclaim the Gospel. May we witness not just a political peace process, but the coming of God’s Kingdom bringing true renewal to the Middle East.

And may the people of Yemen spread the fragrance of Jesus Christ throughout the Arab world and to all nations, becoming the fragrant oil that prepares the way for the Lord’s return!