Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps his Department has taken to ensure that people involved in the conflict in Yemen are able to access humanitarian and commercial aid,

Intense fighting and insecurity on the ground in Yemen has resulted in restrictions being placed on commercial and humanitarian shipping, and difficulties in distributing food and fuel to those who need it. The most important action to address the humanitarian situation, beyond a ceasefire, is to facilitate access for commercial and humanitarian goods, which all parties to the conflict have a responsibility to ensure. The UK continues to monitor this issue, and has engaged frequently with the Government of Yemen and members of the Saudi Arabian-led coalition on facilitating access. We have emphasised with all parties to the conflict the importance of the non-politicisation of aid. There has been some recent progress on shipping access, which we welcome, but this needs to be maintained and increased in the future. We will continue to work with the Government of Yemen, members of the coalition, and the UN to see sustained progress.