NEW YORK CITY: The UN on Tuesday condemned cross-border attacks by the Houthi militia in Yemen against several locations in Saudi Arabia over the past 24 hours that struck civilian and energy infrastructure. It came as fighting inside Yemen displaced thousands more families and pushed an already underfunded humanitarian response closer to collapse. “We condemn the Houthi cross-border attacks against multiple sites in southern Saudi Arabia, which affected civilian and energy infrastructure, and express deep concern over reports of civilian casualties,” UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric told reporters, citing an escalation in hostilities over the past several days. The UN was equally concerned about intensifying clashes across multiple front lines inside Yemen itself, including reports of possible civilian casualties, he said. He called on all parties to exercise restraint, prevent further escalation, and uphold their obligations under international humanitarian law by refraining from attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure. Hans Grundberg, the UN’s special envoy for Yemen, was engaging directly with the parties involved in the conflict as part of efforts to contain the escalation and preserve space for dialogue, Dujarric added. A continuing military escalation risks “devastating political, economic and security ramifications” for Yemen, he warned as he urged all parties to engage constructively with the UN-led political efforts. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs has said more than 5,600 households have been displaced across Taiz and southern Hodeidah since fighting began to escalate on Sept. 3. At least 11 civilian casualties were reported in the past week, the agency added, including two children who were killed and nine people who were injured. In Marib, displacement sites were hit by shelling over the weekend, killing two children and injuring 15 people, OCHA said. Shelters were destroyed, forcing families to sleep in the open. Humanitarian organizations have provided emergency supplies to 2,340 households, mainly in Taiz but also Marib and Abyan, the humanitarian office said, though reaching many of the people in need remains a major challenge. OCHA said it urgently required $7 million for its Rapid Response Mechanism, and a further $3 million for shelter supplies and household items, stocks of which are depleted. The overall $2.2 billion humanitarian appeal for Yemen remains only about 20 percent funded, with $438 million received so far, the agency added. The UN called on all parties to respect international humanitarian law, facilitate unimpeded humanitarian access to assist all those in need, and protect civilians, including by allowing them to move to safer areas.