Paul Gavan (Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister of State. His colleague, the Minister for Foreign Affairs, has quite correctly described Yemen as the world's worst humanitarian crisis. It is one I have regularly raised in the House. Since 2015 a brutal war has been prosecuted on the Yemeni people by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. The death toll around the crisis is truly shocking. A total of 377,000 Yemenis have died due to direct and indirect causes of war. A minimum of 10,000 children have died since 2015. A total of 4 million Yemenis have been displaced by the war, 79% of whom are women and children. A total of 21 million Yemenis are in dire need of humanitarian assistance, including 5 million on the brink of famine.

Saudi Arabia has also enforced a criminal blockade, thus preventing vital aid reaching more than 80% of the Yemeni population that depend on it. Every ten minutes a Yemeni child dies due to the cruel blockade. A total of 400,000 Yemeni children are at risk of dying according to the director of the UN World Food Programme. The Minister of State knows the Saudi regime decapitates gay people and dissidents, brutalises women and provides, in the words of Hilary Clinton, clandestine financial and logistical support to terrorists. This is the regime that chopped a journalist into pieces in a foreign embassy and incinerated Yemeni children travelling on a school bus on their way back from a picnic.

I have parsed previous statements by the Minister for Foreign Affairs and they have been carefully worded. There has never been a call for sanctions despite the horrendous actions of the Saudi and UAE governments. What really worries me is that to date I cannot see one statement from the Government explicitly condemning the Saudi dictatorship for its war of terror on Yemen. I am hopeful the Minister of State will change this today with a very clear condemnation.

Then there is the issue of arms sales to Saudi Arabia by the US, Britain and EU countries. In a debate in the Seanad a few years back, the Government went as far as acknowledging that arms sales are prolonging the war in Yemen. Recently, the Minister for Foreign Affairs came out with a much weaker statement. When asked about EU allies selling weapons to the murderous Saudi regime, the Minister said arms exports are a national competence of the EU and it is for each state to make this assessment as a national competence. It is an absolutely disgraceful abdication of a responsibility to condemn the arms sales to this heinous dictatorship. BAE Systems has sold £17.3 billion worth of military equipment since 2015. Does the Minister of State really have nothing to say about this? What will he say about it this morning?

It is not enough for the Government to say how awful the conflict is. We need to take responsibility. We have a seat on the UN Security Council. Unfortunately the Government's stance is even worse than I have described. Two weeks ago, the Government sent a Minister of State to Saudi Arabia to tout for more business. At that time the regime was just preparing to engage in a series of executions. There were 81 executions in one day. We sent a Minister of State to tout for more business even as Saudi Arabia was continuing to bomb the people of Yemen, as it continues to do today.

There is the disgraceful ongoing gift of Shannon Airport by the Government to assist in the ongoing prosecution of this war. At a meeting in the audiovisual room two weeks ago, we were told that every US military adviser helping to train Saudi pilots to drop those bombs on the Yemeni population has come through Shannon.

Will the Minister of State make a clear condemnation of Saudi Arabia for its war on the Yemeni population? Will he make a clear call to the Saudi dictatorship to lift the blockade? Will he condemn arms sales by members of the EU, Britain and the US to Saudi Arabia and the UAE? Will he call for an arms embargo on these countries? Will he use our seat the UN Security Council to take a clear stance for peace?

Joe O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Green Party)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The situation in Yemen is one of the world's worst humanitarian crises, driven by seven years of conflict, economic collapse and the breakdown of public institutions and services which has left millions of people in need of humanitarian assistance. Ireland fully supports the efforts of the UN Special Envoy for Yemen, Hans Grundberg, to bring about a political resolution to the conflict in Yemen. Ireland also welcomes the Gulf Cooperation Council initiative to host talks on Yemen and strongly encourages all parties to engage meaningfully with these efforts.

As a member of the Security Council, Ireland has engaged extensively in support of the UN's efforts. The Minister, Deputy Coveney, has held discussions with the UN Special Envoy for Yemen as well as with Major General Michael Beary, head of the United Nations mission to support the Hudaydah agreement. The Minister, Deputy Coveney, has also engaged extensively with the countries of the region, including in direct talks with the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Iran and the UAE. In all of these discussions, the Minister has stressed the need to de-escalate hostilities and work with urgency towards a peaceful resolution of the conflict. He has also highlighted the need to ensure the delivery of humanitarian aid to all people in need.

Developments on the ground in recent months have been deeply concerning. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs has highlighted the record number of civilian casualties recorded in Yemen in recent months. Ireland has consistently called on the parties concerned to take all possible measures to prevent any loss of civilian life and to uphold international humanitarian law in all circumstances.

Ireland deeply regrets the continued failure of the Houthis to engage seriously in the UN-led peace process. Ireland has condemned in the strongest terms attacks targeting civilian infrastructure in Saudi Arabia and UAE, including the attack on Abu Dhabi airport in January of this year, which killed three people, and the series of attacks against Saudi Arabia on 20 March.

In addition to significant diplomatic efforts, Ireland has been a consistent and reliable donor to Yemen and has contributed more than €37 million in humanitarian funding since 2015, including a commitment of €5 million for 2022, which Minister Coveney pledged on behalf of Ireland at the pledging conference for Yemen on 16 March. Ireland also contributes as an EU member state to approaches to the crisis in Yemen. Since 2015, the EU has contributed more than €1.2 billion, including €827 million in humanitarian aid and €407 million in development assistance.

Ireland will continue to support all efforts to end the terrible conflict in Yemen, including through direct engagement with Saudi Arabia and other regional actors and in the context of our position on the UN Security Council and as a European Union member state.

Paul Gavan (Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

That is quite an extraordinary statement. There are approximately 400 words and not one word of condemnation of the Saudi dictatorship. It has killed 400,000 people and there is not one word of condemnation. I asked the Minister of State for an explanation as to how we sent a Minister of State there touting for business just as it was ready to execute another 81 people. The Minister of State made no comment.

This is the worst disaster in the world right now and the Minister of State does not have one word to say about the Saudi dictatorship. How extraordinary when we see what is possible, thankfully, in terms of tackling Putin and tackling horrendous actions in the world. However, with regard to the worst disaster and humanitarian conflict there is not one word of condemnation of Saudi Arabia. I ask the Minister of State to please take some courage. He has a choice here. Stand up and condemn the Saudi dictatorship. Tell us that Ireland will take a lead in ending the conflict, particularly insisting on an arms embargo. Surely the Minister of State can do this.

Joe O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Green Party)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The conflict in Yemen, which is a civil war, has continued for too long, with devastating consequences for the people of Yemen. Ireland supports the call for an immediate ceasefire across Yemen and the negotiation of a sustainable peace agreement under the auspices of the UN. All parties must work towards an immediate de-escalataion. Ireland has consistently called on the parties concerned to take all possible measures to prevent any loss of civilian life and to respect international humanitarian law. There have been numerous reports of acts in the course of the conflict that are contrary to international law, including damage and destruction to civilian infrastructure; gender-based violence, including sexual violence; torture; mistreatment of prisoners; violations against children, including the recruitment of child soldiers; and violations against journalists, human rights defenders, minorities, migrants and internally displaced persons. Ireland supports accountability for all these violations of international humanitarian law and for all human rights abuses.

We must also continue to support the people of Yemen, millions of whom require humanitarian assistance. Ireland has been a reliable and consistent donor to Yemen since the current crisis began in 2015 and one of the largest donors per capita. On 16 March, as I mentioned, the Minister, Deputy Coveney, pledged €5 million on behalf of Ireland, matching our 2021 and 2020 contributions.