Mr. Jim Clarken:

The statement that the Yemenis believe they are dying a slow death presents a strong image. There comes a time when that becomes catastrophic, although the situation is already catastrophic in terms of the number of people affected. It is worth remembering that before the conflict Yemen was the poorest country in the region by a distance. It is already a very poor country. Approximately 51% of the health services are no longer functioning, even at the level at which they operated before the crisis. One can imagine the impact of that, leaving aside an epidemic of cholera, a food crisis and so on.

The Stockholm Agreement was a really positive initial step forward. Like all peace agreements, it requires ongoing monitoring, commitment, focus and political engagement, even during the tough parts. It is not a linear process. We have to keep at it. There is a sense that that is probably not happening at the moment. The issues are how do we make sure that Hodeidah is accessible and then, because there is no point stockpiling everything there, how do we ensure there is a proper ceasefire across the country. We need an inclusive peace process, that will take time a long time, but that starts and people feel connected to so that, at least, in the initial stages the humanitarian access is there to deliver the support that is needed. We can then start to gradually rebuild.