SANAA/UNITED NATIONS – Yemen's Houthi group said Wednesday that Saudi-led coalition warplanes had carried out 32 airstrikes across four provinces over the past few hours amid escalating fighting in Yemen.

According to Houthi-run al-Masirah TV, aircraft from what it called the "Saudi aggression" carried out 32 airstrikes across the provinces of Marib, Al-Jawf, Taiz and Hodeidah over the past few hours. The broadcaster did not identify the specific targets or immediately report casualties or damage.

There was no immediate comment from Saudi Arabia on the report.

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A military official on the ground confirmed to Xinhua that the airstrikes targeted Houthi-controlled areas, providing air cover for government forces amid ongoing ground fighting.

The latest reported strikes followed a sharp escalation between the Houthis and Saudi Arabia. The Houthis launched dozens of ballistic missiles and drones at military and energy facilities in southern Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, while Saudi authorities said the attacks wounded 73 people and caused fires at several energy facilities.

Meanwhile, fighting has intensified on several fronts in recent days, with particularly fierce clashes in western Yemen over areas near the strategic Bab al-Mandab Strait, as well as in the northern province of Al-Jawf, marking the most serious escalation since a United Nations-brokered truce largely halted major hostilities in 2022.

Yemen's conflict began in late 2014 when the Houthis seized Sanaa and much of northern Yemen, prompting the Saudi-led coalition to intervene in 2015 in support of the internationally recognized government.

UN condemns Houthi attacks

Meanwhile, the United Nations condemns the cross-border attacks by the Houthis in Yemen against multiple sites in southern Saudi Arabia, which affected civilian and energy infrastructure, said Stephane Dujarric, spokesperson for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

The world body also expresses deep concern over reports of civilian casualties in the attacks, the spokesperson said, adding that the United Nations is equally concerned by the intensification of military clashes across multiple front lines within Yemen, particularly reports of possible civilian casualties resulting from the fighting.

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"We call upon the parties to exercise restraint and prevent further escalation, and further urge them to uphold their obligations under international humanitarian law to refrain from directing attacks against civilians or civilian infrastructure, and to take constant care to spare the civilian population, civilians, as well as civilian objects," Dujarric said.

UN Special Envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg continues engaging directly with the parties with the aim of containing the current escalation and preserving space for dialogue. Continued military escalation risks devastating political, economic and security ramifications for Yemen. The parties should engage constructively with UN-led political efforts, said the spokesperson.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said an escalation in fighting in Yemen is devastating communities already struggling to survive after more than a decade of conflict.

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More than 5,600 households have been displaced across Taiz governorate and southern Al Hodeidah governorate since the escalation in fighting on Thursday. At least 11 civilian casualties have been reported in the last week, including two children killed and nine people injured, said the office.

In Marib governorate, there are reports that shelling struck displacement sites over the weekend, resulting in the deaths of two children and injuries to 15 other people. Shelters have been destroyed and families forced to sleep in the open, it said.

Humanitarians are mobilizing to respond, said OCHA. As of Monday, partners have reached 2,340 households, mainly in Taiz, as well as Marib and Abyan, with emergency supplies. Reaching many people in need remains a major challenge.

The world body urgently needs funding to scale up the response. The humanitarian appeal for Yemen, which requires $2.2 billion, remains just 20 percent funded, said OCHA.

The United Nations calls on all parties to respect international humanitarian law. They must protect civilians, including by allowing them to move to safer areas, and must facilitate unimpeded access for humanitarian relief to reach all those in dire need, said the office.