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Foreign Conflicts

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 12 June 2018

Tuesday, 12 June 2018

Questions (170)

Niall Collins

Question:

170. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the status of the situation in Yemen; the efforts being made by the EU in regard to the conflict and the humanitarian situation there; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24676/18]

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Written answers

I am extremely concerned about the current situation in Yemen, which is the world’s largest humanitarian crisis. I, and officials in my Department, have been monitoring the state of affairs in Yemen with growing anxiety, particularly in recent months as the humanitarian situation continues to deteriorate. After three years of war, three quarters of the population are estimated to require some form of humanitarian assistance. The situation is already untenable. I am particularly troubled by reports of growing tensions around the port of Hodeidah. About 80% of Yemen’s humanitarian and commercial aid runs through this port and any interruption of this flow would lead to further suffering for civilians in Yemen.

Humanitarian access is a critical issue, and I have consistently called on all parties to the conflict to ensure that the people of Yemen receive the assistance they urgently need. Commercial access is equally important, since a population of over 20 million people cannot survive on aid alone. Officials from my Department met with the Saudi Embassy in Dublin late last year and again last month and relayed my strong concerns in relation to humanitarian access. The EU has also made representations to Saudi Arabia on this issue.

The EU is the largest humanitarian donor to Yemen and has provided over €170 million in aid since the conflict began, to which Ireland contributes via the EU Development Budget. Ireland has provided €15.5 million in bilateral humanitarian assistance to Yemen since 2015, including €4million in assistance which was announced in March this year. Ireland also provides global funding to a number of organisations which are particularly active in Yemen including the World Food Programme, UNICEF and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).

Ireland has also worked in the UN system to raise our grave concerns about human rights in Yemen. At the Human Rights Council in September 2017, Ireland was part of a small core group of countries that drove forward the adoption by consensus of a Resolution on Yemen. The resolution established a group of international experts to examine the facts in relation to violations of human rights and humanitarian law on the ground.

The EU has worked to keep communication channels open with all stakeholders and regional actors in Yemen. At the Foreign Affairs Council in December last year, I urged stronger EU action on humanitarian access in Yemen, and I will continue to raise these concerns with all appropriate interlocutors whenever possible.

The EU supports the work of Martin Griffiths, the new Special Envoy of the UN Secretary General for Yemen, and his team, and in particular his efforts to prepare a framework for negotiations to present to the UN Security Council in June. We hope that peace negotiations can be re-launched shortly afterwards. I believe that the new envoy will be able to engage all parties to the conflict to come back to the negotiating table, in order to achieve a sustainable solution for the people of Yemen. My EU colleagues and I are committed to supporting his work, and would be happy to meet with him at the Foreign Affairs Council to hear how we can best do that.

I can assure the Deputy that Ireland will continue to take every appropriate opportunity to press for a negotiated settlement to the conflict in Yemen, as well as respect for human rights and international humanitarian law, and improved humanitarian access. I believe that only way to bring about a long-term sustainable improvement in the situation for the Yemeni people is through a negotiated end to this conflict, and the EU stands ready to support this.

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