Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I am somewhat surprised that the conflict did not feature on the ASEM agenda, given that the war in Yemen represents one of the world's greatest humanitarian crises and is now the world's largest crisis. Some 17.8 million people are food insecure, of whom 8 million are severely food insecure. We have all watched the emaciated bodies of the children on television, which is horrific.

It is extraordinary that such an horrific conflict has been allowed to continue for more than four years. To a certain extent, there is complacency within the international order, which almost confines the conflict to a regional war that does not necessitate an urgent, global response, apart from the humanitarian assistance that is in place. The EU has provided €440 million to Yemen for humanitarian development, stabilisation, resilience support and so on. Ireland has also provided €16.5 million in humanitarian assistance to Yemen.

We support Mr. Martin Griffiths, the UN Special Envoy to Yemen, in his efforts to try to bring the warring parties to the negotiating table. Having said that I believe there is a sense that the powers that be in the EU, and western leaders in general, are pulling their punches on this conflict with regard its origins and conduct. While providing all this humanitarian assistance, the regional actors need to be called out, for example, on the role of Saudi Arabia which has a strong relationship with the United State. That is unacceptable in the context of the situation in Yemen, Iran and elsewhere. The use of proxy fighters who wreak appalling devastation on civilian populations is barbaric and should have led to a far greater call for action and intervention from the major powers of the world than it has to date.

We cannot salve our consciences by doling out humanitarian aid, important as that is. The political background to this conflict needs to be addressed urgently by the powers that be. This is why it needs to be on the agenda of ASEM and other global fora.

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