Question to the Department for International Development:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how the Government's programmes to increase humanitarian relief and disease prevention in Yemen will be delivered in Houthi-controlled areas.

The UK continues to show leadership in responding to the humanitarian crisis in Yemen, with the Prime Minister recently committing £200 million of support for the 2019/2020 financial year. This funding will meet the immediate food requirements of over 3.8 million Yemenis for a month and brings the total UK commitment to Yemen to £770 million since the conflict began in 2015.

The UK only channels support through organisations with a strong record of delivering and monitoring assistance, such as UN agencies and international NGOs. These organisations continue to deliver aid in Houthi controlled areas, where the majority of Yemen’s population live, with the UN Humanitarian Coordinator working tirelessly to improve aid delivery and ensure those most in need are being reached.

Humanitarian actors often report facing bureaucratic obstacles, including waits for visas and multiple permissions to travel through governorate and district-level checkpoints. The UK continues to call urgently on all parties to facilitate safe, rapid, and unhindered access for both the humanitarian response and commercial supplies.