Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour)
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Question 64: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs if his attention has been drawn to the recent incidents in the Hadramawt region of Yemen and the border region of that country with Saudi Arabia; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41937/09]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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The deteriorating security and humanitarian situation in Yemen was discussed by Foreign Ministers at the General Affairs and External Relations Council in Luxembourg at the end of October. Council Conclusions were adopted which expressed the EU's deep concern at the deteriorating security, political and economic situation across the country and underlined the importance of a comprehensive approach to addressing the difficulties currently facing Yemen. The Council also reiterated the EU's continued readiness to support the Government of Yemen in addressing the challenges ahead.

Historically, Yemen is a country which has suffered from serious internal and political instability while, in more recent years, it has also experienced problems with Al-Qaeda-linked terrorism. Fighting has been occurring sporadically in Yemen's northern governorate of Saada since 2004, flaring up in adjacent regions and, in 2008, reaching the outskirts of the capital, Sanaa. The conflict in Saada, which has brought about extensive destruction, pits a predominantly Shi'a rebel grouping, known generically as the Houthis, against the predominantly Sunni Government forces.

There have been growing regional and international concerns about the deteriorating security, political and economic situation across Yemen. The situation was discussed at the most recent Ministerial meeting of the EU-Gulf Cooperation Council, held in Muscat, Oman last April. In particular, there are concerns about the growing violence and deterioration of the humanitarian situation in Saada, which has caused an increasing number of civilian casualties and of internally displaced people. The Government, through Irish Aid, has allocated humanitarian assistance of €200,000 through the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) and the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) to assist those displaced by the violence.

The issue is also a strategic one, as the Saada conflict carries grave risks, not just for Yemen's delicate political, sectarian and social equilibrium but for the stability of the region as a whole. The recent tensions with neighbouring Saudi Arabia, which has reportedly carried out a series of air raids on Houthi rebel positions in northern Yemen in recent days, and consequent warnings from Iran about foreign interference, have illustrated further the high stakes in this conflict. The EU will continue to monitor the situation closely and keep this issue high on the agenda, including in its ongoing political dialogue with the Gulf Cooperation Council.