Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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130. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the extent to which the international community is willing to become involved in peacekeeping in Yemen; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17808/19]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The United Nations is working to bring about a political resolution to the crisis in Yemen. The UN Special Envoy, Martin Griffiths, has played a leading role in bringing the internationally-recognised Government and the Houthi de facto authorities (also known as Ansar al Allah) to the negotiating table. In December 2018, agreements were reached by the parties in Stockholm, including on a fragile ceasefire in the key port city of Hodeidah and an agreement on prisoner exchange.

To date, the UN Special Envoy has not indicated a need for international peacekeepers in Yemen.  

However, following on from the December 2018 agreements, the UN Security Council established the UN Mission to Support the Hodeidah Agreement (UNMHA) in January 2019.  The Mission includes UN Monitors tasked with overseeing the ceasefire, redeployment of forces and mine action operations in Hodeidah.  A member of Ireland’s Permanent Defence Forces was seconded to UNMHA during its initial period.

At this point, the international community focus is on sustaining political pressure on the parties to the conflict to implement the agreements reached in Stockholm. UNSE Griffiths has thanked the EU for its support thus far, saying it would not have been possible to reach agreement in Stockholm without it. During the February 2019 Foreign Affairs Council, Conclusions were adopted which commit the EU to continuing to engage with all parties to the conflict, as well as with regional actors, in order to support the UN-led process.

It is also vitally important that the international community contributes 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 and has committed over €700 million to the Yemen crisis. Ireland has provided almost €23 million in humanitarian assistance to Yemen since 2012.

Ireland, the UN, the EU and the wider international community will continue to play an important role in attempting to alleviate the humanitarian crisis and facilitate a political solution for the people of Yemen.