Question to the Department for International Development:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps she is taking with the United Nations to co-ordinate the provision of humanitarian aid to civilians in Yemen.

The UK is working closely with the UN and other donors at all levels, to help ensure the humanitarian response in Yemen is as coordinated as possible. This includes supporting the UN’s Humanitarian Response Plan and COVID-19 strategy in Yemen.

We engage regularly with senior UN officials, including through calls between Ministers and UN Agency Leads and between DFID’s Country Director for Yemen and the UN’s Humanitarian Coordinator in Yemen. We also actively participate in the UN’s weekly Yemen Humanitarian Country Team meetings.

Our recently announced £160 million commitment of UK aid to Yemen is being delivered through UN and NGO humanitarian and development partners in line with the UN’s Humanitarian Response Plan. We maintain constant dialogue with these UN agencies and NGOs to ensure we understand the challenges they are facing on the ground and identify ways in which we can support them through UK influence and diplomacy.