Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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247. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will report on the ongoing conflict in Yemen; the efforts being made at national, EU and international level to find a peaceful resolution to this conflict; the efforts that are being made to ensure vital aid shipments are allowed into the country, in view of the fact that millions of persons are on the brink of starvation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49246/17]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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I am extremely concerned about the current situation in Yemen, in particular as the humanitarian crisis continues to deteriorate. The war has entered into its third year, the political process has stalled, and the fighting is having devastating consequences for civilians, with credible allegations of violations of international humanitarian law. Yemen is also facing the world's fastest-growing cholera epidemic.

When EU Foreign Ministers last discussed the situation in Yemen in April, they 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 own aid programme, since the start of the conflict in 2015.

Ireland takes the issue of humanitarian access extremely seriously. The closure of land, air and sea ports this month, following a missile attack on Riyadh, was an alarming development, especially given the impact on humanitarian aid. When my officials last met with officials from the Saudi Embassy in Dublin earlier this month, they condemned the attack on Riyadh, which endangered the lives of civilians. They also relayed my request that all parties to the conflict do everything possible to facilitate the delivery of aid. There have also been EU contacts with Saudi Arabia on this issue.

I note the announcement by Saudi Arabia that it intends to allow the reopening of some ports and border crossings. This must proceed urgently. Yemen has no resilience to the suspension of humanitarian assistance, as locally held supplies are extremely limited. I will continue to monitor the situation closely, and I take this opportunity to reiterate my call on all parties to the conflict to allow unrestricted humanitarian access to those in need.

The conflict in Yemen has led to grave concerns about human rights, and Ireland has worked in the UN system to address this. At the Human Rights Council in September 2017, I decided that Ireland should join a small core group of countries that drove forward the adoption of a Resolution on Yemen. This Resolution establishes a group of international experts, who will establish the facts in relation to violations of human rights and humanitarian law on the ground. This group will report back to the Human Rights Council, as an important step towards accountability in Yemen.

The only way to bring about a long-term sustainable improvement in the situation for the Yemeni people is through a negotiated end to this conflict. Ireland fully supports the efforts of UN Special Envoy Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed and his team, who are working towards a peace agreement. Ireland will continue to take every appropriate opportunity to press for a negotiated settlement, respect for human rights and international humanitarian law, and improved humanitarian access.