Seán Crowe (Dublin South West, Sinn Fein)
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77. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the steps he is taking to assist the humanitarian response to the crisis in Yemen; if he has raised with his Saudia Arabian counterpart the illegal blockade by Saudia Arabia of Yemen which, in the opinion of aid agencies, is the main cause of the food shortages in the country; and if calls by other EU member states to enforce an arms embargo on Saudia Arabia will be supported, in view of the war crimes committed by the Saudia Arabian-led military intervention force in Yemen. [48352/18]

Seán Crowe (Dublin South West, Sinn Fein)
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Like many others, I have been shocked by the images of the humanitarian crisis and suffering in Yemen where thousands of people have died in the conflict and 14 million need food assistance and are at risk of famine. The UN World Food Programme has warned that the country will face a full blown famine in approximately six months' time unless the position changes. What is Ireland doing to assist the humanitarian response to the crisis?

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Deputy. I will give a much longer response when four questions on the issue are taken together later. I hope to be allowed time to do so, given the number of questions involved.

Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Ceann Comhairle)
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The Tánaiste has not been doing too badly so far.

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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I know. Thank you, a Cheann Comhairle.

This is an extraordinarily tragic situation. The Yemeni people have suffered over three years of unrelenting conflict and are in the midst of the world's largest humanitarian crisis. While I am glad to say recent weeks have seen indications that a ceasefire could finally be in prospect, there has also been an alarming increase in fighting around the port of Hodeidah which is a lifeline for imports into Yemen. My EU colleagues and I discussed the situation in Yemen at the Foreign Affairs Council yesterday. We reconfirmed our strong support for the efforts of the UN special envoy, Mr. Martin Griffiths, and hope he will succeed in convening peace talks in Sweden by the end of the year.

The humanitarian crisis has a number of interlocking causes – historical underdevelopment, economic collapse, reducing the ability to buy available food, and delays in the distribution of commercial and humanitarian supplies, both in ports and at in-country checkpoints. Since the conflict began, Ireland has advocated relentlessly for free access for humanitarian aid and commercial goods. Any necessary security check must avoid causing blockages or delays that have a humanitarian impact. I reiterated directly to the Saudi ambassador when I met him last month the importance Ireland attached to humanitarian access. My officials have also made this point strongly to the embassy of Iran, in view of that country's close relationship with the Houthis and the serious delays in deliveries in Houthi-controlled areas. I call again on all parties to the conflict to prioritise access for humanitarian aid and essential commercial goods such as food and medicines. Ireland has provided almost €16.5 million in bilateral humanitarian assistance for Yemen since 2015.

While there have been calls for an arms embargo on Saudi Arabia and there was a discussion on the matter at EU level yesterday, there is no consensus at EU level as a whole. For now, Irish efforts are concentrated on ensuring the effective implementation of export control regimes and the implementation of the 2014 arms trade treaty.

Seán Crowe (Dublin South West, Sinn Fein)
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Has the Tánaiste raised this issue directly with his Saudi counterpart? Aid organisations state the blockade of Hodeidah port by the Saudi-led coalition for the past three years is the main factor contributing to the famine. Essentially, the coalition is targeting the port and food as part of the ongoing war. The port which handles 90% of Yemen's imports has been closed by the Saudi military coalition. Responsibility for the humanitarian crisis falls completely at the feet of the Saudi regime. We have seen how it uses its military might to bomb civilian areas, infrastructure, homes and even school buses. Data collected by Al Jazeera and the Yemen Data Project show that 18,000 air raids have been carried out in Yemen since 2015 by the Saudi and UAE-led military coalition. Almost one third of all bombing missions struck non-military sites, yet Britain and the United States alone have sold weapons worth more than $12 billion to Saudi Arabia since it entered the war. The Tánaiste mentioned the calls for an arms embargo on Saudi Arabia because of these war crimes. Does he support the calls made? I heard what he said about other countries, but what is Ireland's position?

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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Ireland's position is that the European Union makes collective decisions on trade. It is an EU competence. A number of member states spoke yesterday to make the point that, even though they had sold arms to Saudi Arabia in the past, they had a policy of not selling arms to countries currently involved in conflict and, therefore, were not continuing to sell to Saudi Arabia. I do not believe there is the capacity to reach consensus on an EU position because any one member state could prevent it. While this affects the possibility of reaching a collective EU position on an arms embargo, there is an opportunity that the European Union needs to take in applying as much influence as it can at UN level where, to its credit, the United Kingdom is leading within the UN Security Council and other EU countries are supporting discussions that can lead to a permanent ceasefire. There are indications from the Houthi side that that is what it is willing to accept. It is why there is now a prospect of talks taking place in Sweden before the end of the year which we hope will be substantive. There has not yet been confirmation that both sides will turn up to those talks, but that is the hope. For the first time in many months, there is a realistic prospect of a lasting ceasefire, on which we need to focus.

Seán Crowe (Dublin South West, Sinn Fein)
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Has the Tánaiste spoken to his Saudi counterpart about the humanitarian crisis in Yemen?

I am aware that Mr. Martin Griffiths, the UN special envoy to Yemen has said that he plans to travel to Yemen in the coming weeks to finalise arrangements for peace talks. The last round of peace talks collapsed in September but by all accounts, the Saudi-backed Government and the Houthi rebels have recently shown a renewed commitment to work on political solutions. I note the recent statement from the Houthi commander expressing a willingness to bring an end to drone and missile strikes by his forces and a readiness to move towards a wider ceasefire if the Saudi-led coalition wants peace. Is Ireland providing support for these peace moves?

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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To be realistic, Ireland is not a significant player in brokering a peace deal in Yemen. That said, we are a very active commentator and are part of the debate and conversation at an EU level. I made it very clear to Ms Federica Mogherini yesterday that countries like Ireland want detail on what is happening in a timely manner and all EU countries will get that information now. The truth is that if a ceasefire is achieved and lasts, that will be just the start of the story. A reconstruction and humanitarian assistance effort will be required in Yemen that will present enormous logistical challenges. Countries will have to contribute towards that and Ireland will certainly do so. As I said, we have already contributed over €16 million to humanitarian assistance linked to the war in Yemen and I suspect we will contribute a lot more.