Red Cross Calls for Urgent De-Escalation in West Asia as Civilian Toll Mounts
GENEVA — October 13, 2026 — The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has issued an urgent appeal for de-escalation in West Asia, warning that further intensification of hostilities would have “disastrous” consequences for tens of millions of people as civilian casualties and infrastructure damage continue to mount across the region.
In a statement released Tuesday, ICRC President Mirjana Spoljaric said civilians are “paying an unacceptable price as a result of military operations” in the region, highlighting recent deaths, injuries and destruction in Saudi Arabia as “yet another example of the devastating toll that hostilities are taking on civilians” .
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Situation in Yemen Described as Alarming
The ICRC chief specifically singled out Yemen, where she said the scale of death, displacement and damage to civilian infrastructure—including in Aden and Sana’a—is “mounting at an alarming rate” . Across West Asia, Spoljaric noted that civilian infrastructure has repeatedly been hit and lives have been lost.
“Strikes on ports, airports and essential infrastructure risk severe consequences for communities who rely on them,” she warned, reminding all parties to conflict of their obligation under international humanitarian law to “distinguish between civilians, civilian objects and military targets” at all times .
Saudi Arabia Targeted in Escalating Attacks
The ICRC’s warning follows a series of deadly attacks on Saudi civilian facilities in recent days. According to Syrian state media, Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation announced that King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh and King Fahd International Airport in Dammam were targeted in attacks that killed one person and injured 11 others, just one day after an attack on King Khalid International Airport killed 12 people and injured 309 .
The Houthi movement in Yemen has been targeting Saudi oil facilities, tankers and transport hubs as part of an escalating military confrontation. The broader Yemeni civil war—in which a Saudi-led coalition supports the internationally recognized government against the Iran-backed Houthis—reignited in July after a period of relative calm following a UN-brokered truce in April 2022 .
Call for Immediate Action
Spoljaric emphasized that the situation requires urgent international attention. “A further intensification of hostilities would be disastrous for tens of millions of people,” she said. “Urgent efforts must be made to de-escalate and protect civilians from further harm” .
The ICRC, which has served as the guardian of international humanitarian law since 1863, reiterated its commitment to protecting people who are not or are no longer participating in hostilities and restricting the means and methods of warfare .
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