Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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104. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the extent to which he directly and in conjunction with his EU and UN colleagues have been appraised of and are engaged in the co-ordination of assistance in Yemen with particular reference to abuses of human rights, war, famine and starvation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48661/17]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The situation in Yemen is deeply concerning. The conflict has entered its third year, the political process has stalled and the fighting is having devastating consequences for civilians. This conflict has been characterised by allegations of violations of human rights, massive starvation and disease, and infringements of international humanitarian law.

Seven million Yemenis are on the brink of famine, including approximately two million severely malnourished children. In addition, Yemen has experienced a surge in cholera cases since April, with almost one million suspected cases and over two thousand associated deaths according to the World Health Organization.

The only way to bring about a long-term sustainable improvement in the situation for the Yemeni people is through peaceful resolution of the conflict. Ireland is working, including though the EU and UN, to support efforts to bring about a peaceful resolution to the conflict, to investigate and prosecute alleged violations of human rights and international humanitarian law, and to support the humanitarian needs of the Yemeni people.

Ireland fully supports the efforts of UN Special Envoy Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed and his team, who are working towards a peace agreement that is acceptable to all parties to the conflict. I welcome the Special Envoy’s announcement following his meeting with senior Yemeni and Saudi officials last month, of the steps that are currently being explored. These include: reinstating the cessation of hostilities, confidence building measures on the humanitarian side, and the return to the negotiating table.

EU Foreign Ministers last discussed the situation in Yemen at the Foreign Affairs Council in April. The Council called on the parties to start negotiating a peace agreement, and committed to increasing its engagement with Yemen once a political solution to the conflict is agreed. The EU is the largest humanitarian donor to Yemen and has provided over €170 million in aid since the conflict began, to which Ireland contributes via the EU Development Budget.

In addition, Ireland has also contributed over €10 million in humanitarian assistance from our Aid Programme since 2015. This includes our commitment made in April to provide €4 million to the UN Humanitarian Fund for Yemen, which provides rapid and flexible funding to NGOs and UN agencies for health, water and sanitation, and nutrition.

Ireland is also providing €20 million annually for 2016-2018 to the UN World Food Programme which is active in providing food assistance in Yemen. In addition, Ireland is the 8th largest contributor to the UN Central Emergency Response Fund, which has allocated $84.8 million to Yemen since 2015.

Ireland is also working through the UN system to address the human rights situation in Yemen. At the Human Rights Council in September 2017, Ireland was part of a small core group of countries that drove forward the adoption of a Resolution on Yemen. This Resolution established a group of international experts to examine allegations of human rights violations of human rights during the conflict, and to report back to the UN Human Rights Council next year. This investigation is an important step towards accountability in Yemen, and will help establish the facts in relation to violations of human rights and humanitarian law on the ground.

I can assure the Deputy that Ireland will continue to take every appropriate opportunity to press for a negotiated settlement to the conflict, respect for human rights and international humanitarian law and improved humanitarian access going forward.