Saudi diplomats have devoted enormous time and effort in recent days to emphasizing how much aid their kingdom has given to the war-ravaged civilians of Yemen.

In at least three events last week at the United Nations, the Saudis stressed that they are, by far, the top donors of food, medicine and money to their neighbor.

But Yemen has been upended for more than two years by a conflict between Iran-backed Houthi rebels and a Saudi-led military coalition, and critics note that the kingdom’s public relations campaign comes as the United Nations secretary general is weighing a decision that could embarrass Saudi Arabia: whether to put it on a list of countries that kill and maim children in war.

The secretary general, António Guterres, has been reviewing an annual report, called “Children and Armed Conflict,” which he is expected to release soon. In previous years, the report has included an annex that lists armies deemed responsible for killing and wounding children.