Charles Flanagan (Laois, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 385 and 386 together.

I have been monitoring Yemen with concern, in particular in recent months as the humanitarian situation has reached crisis point. The war has entered into its third year, the country is on the brink of famine, the political process has stalled and, despite recent conclusions by the UN Panel of Experts on Yemen that an outright military victory by either side is no longer a realistic possibility, fighting continues with increasingly devastating consequences for the civilian population.

Yemen was on the agenda of the Foreign Affairs Council in Luxembourg yesterday. We agreed Council Conclusions reaffirming the EU's serious concern about the Yemeni situation, and urging the parties to lay down arms and negotiate a peace agreement. We also called on them to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian assistance. Along with my European colleagues, we confirmed our commitment to increasing the EU's engagement with Yemen, once a political solution to the conflict is agreed.

The Conclusions made special reference to children who, along with women and other vulnerable groups, are paying the heaviest price in this war. Of particular concern are reports emerging of violations of the rights of the child, recruitment of child soldiers, and attacks on schools and health facilities, which deny children access to education and health care. Nearly four fifths of all Yemeni children need humanitarian assistance, and UNICEF estimates that at least one child dies every ten minutes from preventable causes. The only way to improve the outlook for these children is to put an end to the conflict.

UN Special Envoy for Yemen, Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed, announced last week that a new framework for peace negotiations has been presented to the warring parties. The Special Envoy called on the International Community to encourage the parties to make the concessions necessary for a peace agreement. As is often the case, Ireland’s voice is stronger when raised in conjunction with our EU partners, and the EU has made clear that it will increase its efforts to support UN actions to reach a political settlement to this crisis.

I have also discussed Yemen 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. I raised concerns about the appalling humanitarian situation in Yemen resulting from the conflict and about attacks which have directly impacted on civilians.

We will also continue to provide humanitarian assistance to Yemen. Ireland has been a significant donor to the crisis, giving almost €6 million since the conflict began. We intend to maintain a similar level of support in 2017, and Ireland will attend a High-Level Pledging Conference for Yemen in Geneva on 25 April, jointly hosted by Sweden, Switzerland and the OCHA.

Finally, this conflict has been characterised by allegations of violations of human rights, including rights of the child, and international humanitarian law. Ireland has been consistent in calling for an impartial, international investigation into these reports. Unfortunately, consensus at an international level to launch such an investigation has not been possible. However, through the EU, we will continue to call on all parties to this conflict to co-operate with the National Commission of Inquiry, as well as with the enhanced OHCHR Yemen Office, and to allow investigators full access to all parts of Yemen. Ireland will continue to call for all alleged violations of human rights and international humanitarian law to be investigated, and for those found guilty of violations to be held accountable.

Charles Flanagan (Laois, Fine Gael)
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I deeply regret the deaths of all civilians in every military conflict.

I am conscious of multiple reports, including from civilians in Mosul, claiming that Daesh is deliberately using civilians as human shields.

I am also aware of the reports that airstrikes by the US-led counter-ISIS coalition have led to a significant number of civilian deaths in Mosul last month.

I would also note that the liberation of Mosul, from a terrorist group which a UN body has found responsible for war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide, has been legally mandated by the UN Security Council under resolution 2249, which calls on UN Member States to "prevent and suppress terrorist acts committed specifically by ISIL" and "to eradicate the safe haven they have established over significant parts of Iraq and Syria".

Security operations taking place against Daesh inside Iraq are also conducted under the legal authority of the sovereign Government of Iraq.

However, international humanitarian law is clear: parties to the conflict, all parties, are obliged to do everything possible to protect civilians.

I understand that the details of what exactly happened in Western Mosul on 17 March are not yet entirely clear and I welcome US Central Command’s announcement of an investigation to establish the facts. It is our hope that the results of this investigation will help to prevent future loss of civilian life in Mosul and elsewhere as the Global Coalition and the Iraqi government work to rid the country of the scourge of ISIS.