Members of the UN Security Council have condemned in the strongest terms the continuing and escalating attacks launched by the terrorist Houthi group against Saudi Arabia, including strikes on civil aviation and energy infrastructure that killed and injured civilians.

A statement issued by the Council president said these included what it called “reckless strikes targeting King Khalid International Airport” on 10 and 11 October, which caused deaths and injuries, as well as multiple strikes on other airports and on Saudi Aramco facilities. Members offered their sincere condolences to the victims' families and to the Saudi government and people, and wished the injured a swift recovery.

The statement also renewed the members' strongest condemnation of continued Houthi attacks and threats against commercial shipping in the Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandab Strait, stressing the need to keep merchant vessels and their crews safe.

Members underlined the importance of fully implementing Resolution 2216 (2015) and subsequent resolutions, and called for practical cooperation, including with the Yemeni government, to stop the Houthis from obtaining weapons and related materiel, technical assistance, training, financing and any other support for the military activities needed to carry out further attacks.

Expressing solidarity with the Kingdom as civilians and civilian objects on its territory come under attack, they affirmed its inherent right to self-defence under international law. They demanded that the Houthis immediately halt their military escalation and attacks on civilians.

Council members also reaffirmed their support for the Yemeni government and their strong commitment to Yemen's unity, sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity, and renewed their backing for UN Special Envoy Hans Grundberg in his efforts to reach, through negotiation, a comprehensive political settlement led and owned by Yemenis.