Question to the Department for International Development:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the statement by Save the Children on 1 March that shipments of aid for Yemen are being delayed, denying people access to medical aid and other essential support; and what assessment they have made of the impact of those delays on the Yemeni people.

The UK is extremely concerned to hear of reports from Save the Children that they have experienced delays to delivery of shipments into Hodeidah port, significantly impacting delivery of aid to vulnerable Yemenis.

The UK continues to lobby all parties to the conflict to facilitate commercial and humanitarian access. We are supporting the UN Verification and Inspection Mechanism, which facilitates the flow of commercial items into Yemen through effectively verifying and where necessary inspecting ships, UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs and the UN Humanitarian Air Service to improve access for humanitarian agencies.