Written answers

Wednesday, 27 February 2019

Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade

Foreign Conflicts

Photo of Bernard DurkanBernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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53. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the extent to which he, in conjunction with the international community, can positively influence the situation in Yemen; if the UN or EU have a role in the situation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9999/19]

Photo of Simon CoveneySimon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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Yemen is currently the world's worst humanitarian situation, with the UN warning that the severity of need on the ground is deepening. Nearly four years of conflict and catastrophic economic decline are driving the country to the brink of famine. Approximately 14.3 million people are now classified as being in acute need of humanitarian aid, with around 3.2 million people requiring treatment for acute malnutrition.

The EU and the UN are pushing for a negotiated solution to the conflict that has been driving this humanitarian need, and the UN Special Envoy, Martin Griffiths, has played a leading role. The internationally-recognised Government, and the Houthi de facto authorities (also known as Ansar al Allah) finally came to the negotiating table in December 2018, due in large part to his efforts. Agreements were reached by the parties in Stockholm in December 2018, including a fragile ceasefire in the key port city of Hodeidah and an agreement on prisoner exchange. Implementation is now crucial in attempting to reach a sustainable political settlement.

In that regard, the UN Secretary General has urged the international community to sustain pressure on the parties to the conflict. Martin Griffiths has thanked the EU for its support thus far, saying it would not have been possible to reach agreement in Stockholm without it. On 18 February, the EU's Foreign Affairs Council adopted Conclusions , promising to continue to engage with all parties to the conflict, as well as with regional actors, in order to support the UN-led process.

Officers from my Department consistently convey the Government’s strong concerns in relation to the Yemen conflict to the Saudi Arabian, United Arab Emirates and Iranian Embassies in Dublin. I myself met with the Saudi Arabian Ambassador on 13 February and highlighted the importance of the implementation of the Stockholm Agreement, as well as the pressing need to ensure access for commercial goods and humanitarian supplies.

It is also vitally important that the international community contributes what it can to the humanitarian effort in Yemen. The UN plays an important role in delivering and coordinating humanitarian support in Yemen, in facilitating access for commercial goods, and in providing oversight through the work of the Human Rights Council and other human rights bodies.

The EU also has a significant role to play in the delivery of aid. Since the beginning of the conflict in 2015, the EU has allocated €233.7 million in humanitarian aid to the Yemen crisis.

Ireland has provided almost €17.5 million in humanitarian assistance to Yemen since 2015, much of which is disbursed via UN agencies, which ensure delivery on the ground. At the UN's Pledging Conference on Yemen yesterday, where my colleague Minister of State Cannon represented Ireland, we pledged a further €5 million to the UN Yemen Humanitarian Fund, which provides assistance in the areas of education, logistics, food security, nutrition and health.

I am not under any illusion as to the gravity of the situation in Yemen, the scale of which is difficult to comprehend. Nonetheless, Ireland, the UN, the EU and the wider international community all have roles to play in attempting to alleviate the humanitarian crisis and work towards a political solution for the people of Yemen.

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