Ruth Coppinger (Dublin West, Anti-Austerity Alliance)
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362. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade his views on the conflict in Yemen; and if he will report on interaction he and his officials have had with authorities in Yemen and the region regarding the conflict. [40110/16]

Ruth Coppinger (Dublin West, Anti-Austerity Alliance)
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363. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the assistance he and his officials have given to humanitarian relief in Yemen; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40111/16]

Ruth Coppinger (Dublin West, Anti-Austerity Alliance)
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364. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he has discussed the conflict in Yemen with his European Union counterparts; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40112/16]

Charles Flanagan (Laois, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 362 to 364, inclusive, together.

I have been monitoring the situation in Yemen with growing concern. Last spring, when a ceasefire was announced after over a year of fighting, it seemed like the conflict might come to an end. However, efforts to broker peace were unsuccessful and, since August, the situation has continued to deteriorate.

UN Special Envoy Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed and his team continue to try to draw the parties to the negotiating table, and I commend them for all of their efforts to date. However, time continues to pass and it does not seem that there is an end to the conflict in sight. Those with influence in the region need to use their sway to convince the parties to lay down weapons and negotiate in earnest.

This war is having a devastating impact on the civilian population of the Gulf’s poorest country. The UN has described the humanitarian situation as “catastrophic”. About 80% of the population is dependent on humanitarian aid. There are reports of a cholera epidemic, and the country is one step away from famine.

In 2015, Irish Aid provided €1,850,000 in response to the humanitarian crisis in Yemen. This included €1 million to the UN Humanitarian Pooled Fund in Yemen, which provides rapid, flexible funding to NGOs and UN agencies; €750,000 to the International Committee of the Red Cross in Yemen; and €100,000 to Oxfam Ireland, to assist displaced people. To date in 2016, Ireland has provided €2 million to the UN Humanitarian Pooled Fund in Yemen, and €100,000 to Goal. Total Irish humanitarian response since 2015 is €3,950,000.

This conflict has also been characterised by allegations of violations of International Humanitarian Law and the Law of War by all sides. Reports abound of airstrikes on civilian infrastructure, including homes, hospitals and even a funeral. I cannot comment on the intent of these attacks, but I strongly condemn the killing and injuring of innocent civilians in all circumstances. At the Human Rights Council in September, Ireland supported calls for the establishment of an independent international investigation into the situation in Yemen.

Ireland does not have an Embassy in Yemen, but the Ambassador to Saudi Arabia is also accredited to Yemen. I myself recently travelled to the Gulf, where I met with the UAE Minister for Foreign Affairs, Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and with the Saudi Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Dr Nizar bin Obaid Madani. While the detail of these conversations is confidential I can confirm that I expressed my concern about the appalling humanitarian situation in Yemen, resulting from the conflict, and about attacks which have directly impacted on civilians.

I have also discussed the Yemeni situation with my EU counterparts. In November 2015, we passed Council Conclusions on the conflict, urging the parties to respect International Humanitarian Law and International Human Rights Law, and to begin negotiating a peace settlement in accordance with UN Security Council Resolution 2216. The humanitarian situation was also discussed several times in Brussels in 2016 at official level.

I encourage the parties to this conflict to lay down arms and return to the negotiating table. As I have said before in this House, a resolution will not come through continued fighting. The only way to end the suffering of the Yemeni people is through peace.