I share constituents concerns regarding the crisis in Yemen and the plight of the Yemeni people who have been caught up in the dreadful conflict, and I know Ministers do too. I am proud that the UK is leading the international effort to respond to the crisis in Yemen through both our humanitarian response and diplomatic influence.
The Yemeni people are facing one of the most severe man-made humanitarian crises in the world. After years of conflict, three quarters of the population (more than 23 million people) require some form of humanitarian assistance.
Since the conflict began, the UK has committed over £1 billion of humanitarian funding, which has helped meet the immediate food needs of millions of Yemenis, treated thousands of children for malnutrition and provided over one million people with improved water supply and basic sanitation.
Indeed, ensuring food security for vulnerable populations in Yemen remains a UK priority. The FCDO’s Food Security Safety Net programme will spend up to £250 million over 5 years, aiming to tackle food insecurity by providing cash transfers to up to 1.5 million of Yemen’s most food insecure households through funding partners such as WFP, Social Fund for Development, and a consortium of NGOs. The FCDO has also funded a project to provide protection services for children in Yemen, through which over 1300 children have accessed high quality and safe psychological support.
There is no military solution to this conflict. An inclusive political settlement is the only way to bring long-term stability to Yemen and address the worsening humanitarian crisis. The UK has been at the forefront of international diplomatic efforts to bring this about, working with international partners to move the peace process forward, fully supporting the UN Special Envoy’s efforts, and using our role as penholder on Yemen at the UN Security Council. The UK Minister for the Middle East also met with the Yemeni Prime Minister, Maeen Abdulmalik Saeed, and Saudi Arabia’s Ambassador to Yemen, Mohammed al-Jabr, last year.
It is incumbent upon all parties to continue to work together to reach a lasting political solution and I am assured that the UK is, especially by way of the UN Security Council, continuing to engage with Special Envoy Hans Grundberg to facilitate this.