Seanad debates

Wednesday, 19 December 2018

Conflict in Yemen: Motion

 

10:30 am

Photo of Alice-Mary HigginsAlice-Mary Higgins (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I move:

That Seanad Éireann:notes that:
- over three years of conflict in Yemen has had a devastating impact on the population of Yemen; resulting in 3.1 million people forced to flee their homes since March 2015 and as many as 21 million people in need of humanitarian assistance;

- 14.1 million people in Yemen have insufficient access to food and are at risk of famine;

- the de facto blockade of Hodeidah port and the economic crisis in the country has contributed to the risk of famine;

- the national healthcare system has been decimated resulting in an escalation of preventable diseases and leaving over 50% of the population without access to basic healthcare;
expresses deep sorrow at:
- the loss of civilian life as a result of the conflict;

- the damage to and destruction of civilian infrastructure due to airstrikes due to shelling by the Saudi Arabia-UAE led military coalition;

- the damage to and destruction of civilian infrastructure, due to shelling by the KSA–UAE led military coalition and by the Houthi forces;
welcomes:
- the resumption of peace talks in Sweden under the auspices of the United Nations and calls on all parties to engage in good faith and work towards peace and stability in Yemen;

and calls on the Government to:

- draw on Ireland’s powerful international reputation as a broker of peace to support and promote the UN-sponsored peace talks between all parties to the conflict;

- call for an immediate cessation of hostilities by all parties to the conflict, including an end to military airstrikes by the Saudi Arabian and UAE led military coalition, and an end to rocket attacks and shelling by the Houthi forces;

- advocate strongly for the upholding of international humanitarian law by all parties to the conflict;

- draw on Ireland’s reputation in the area of international disarmament to advocate for a cessation of those aspects of the arms trade which contribute to the conflict, in particular to call on all EU Member States to abide by their obligations under the EU common position on exports of military technology and equipment, including denying an export licence if there is a clear risk the equipment might be used in the commission of serious violations of International Humanitarian Law or be used aggressively against another country;

- significantly increase humanitarian aid to Yemen and closely monitor the ability for humanitarian aid to reach the vulnerable populations in most need, including an end to the blockages and blockades which prevent such access.

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