Hilary Benn – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Hilary Benn on 2015-10-16.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, pursuant to the Answer of 12 October 2015 to Question 11278, who is currently responsible for impeding humanitarian access to people in need in Yemen.

Mr Desmond Swayne

All parties to the conflict are responsible for impeding humanitarian access to people in need in Yemen. Intense fighting on the ground is making it increasingly hard for agencies to reach those in need within Yemen. This is compounded by restrictions on imports of commercial and humanitarian supplies into the country, including fuel. This in turn is hampering the distribution of humanitarian supplies within country, including essential food and medicines.

The UK continues to call on all parties to facilitate rapid, safe and unhindered access to all people in need in Yemen. The UK is one of the largest donors to the crisis and has announced £75m to respond to the crisis in Yemen. UK aid is providing vital medical supplies, water, food and emergency shelter, working with trusted and impartial actors who have a strong track record in delivering assistance in difficult and dangerous places. We also support a UN-led process on access negotiations and the establishment of the Access Working Group where partners report cases of obstruction and accessible routes.