Gino Kenny (Dublin Mid West, People Before Profit Alliance)
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125. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he has spoken with his counterparts in Europe on the continuing situation in Yemen; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33908/21]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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Yemen is the world's worst humanitarian crisis, driven by seven years of conflict, economic collapse and the breakdown of public institutions and services which has left over 24 million people in need of humanitarian assistance.

Ireland and the European Union fully support the efforts of the UN Special Envoy for Yemen, Martin Griffiths, to bring about a political resolution to the conflict in Yemen. When Yemen was discussed at the Foreign Affairs Council on 21 May, EU Member States were in agreement that there is no military solution to the conflict in Yemen and all parties should agree to an immediate ceasefire.

As part of our role on the Security Council, Ireland is maintaining a very high level of engagement on Yemen with key parties in the region. In recent months I have held discussions with the UN Special Envoy and the Foreign Ministers of Yemen and Iran. I also directly raised my concerns over the ongoing conflict and humanitarian catastrophe in Yemen with my counterparts in Saudi Arabia and UAE when I visited these countries on 15 and 16 June respectively. 

The EU continues its active diplomatic outreach to relevant actors in support of the efforts of the UN Special Envoy. Last month a number of EU Ambassadors delivered messages to Houthi representatives on a number of issues including ending the conflict and facilitating humanitarian access. In addition to significant diplomatic efforts, the EU has provided nearly €1 billion to Yemen since 2015 in development, crisis response and humanitarian assistance.