Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with his international counterparts on the naval and air blockade of Yemen.

The critical Red Sea ports of Hodeidah and Salif remain operational and the majority of Yemen's imports are getting in. On fuel imports, the UK alongside other international partners successfully lobbied the Yemeni Government to release seven fuel ships into Hodeidah in recent weeks, and I discussed this matter with Yemeni Foreign Minister Bin Mubarak on 24 March. The majority of access constraints faced by nine million Yemenis are, however, in Houthi-held areas according to the UN. We are clear that humanitarian aid must not be used as a political tool and we call on all parties to facilitate unhindered access for commercial and humanitarian actors.

The Houthis must work constructively with the UN and the Yemeni Government to negotiate a longer-term solution on Hodeidah port and bring an end to the conflict.