Member of Parliament for Clwyd South, Simon Baynes yesterday raised the issue of the crisis in Yemen with the Foreign Office in the Chamber of the House of Commons.
Yemen is in the grip of a devastating political and military conflict, with civil war having broken out in 2015. This has left the country vulnerable to famine and disease, with the United Nations estimating that around 22.2 million people in Yemen required some kind of humanitarian or protection assistance.
Mr Baynes asked the Foreign Office Minister, Rt Hon James Cleverly MP, about the political and humanitarian situation in Yemen, and the effect of the new Foreign Office–DFID merger on the UK Government’s role in Yemen.
In response Rt Hon James Cleverly MP said:
“It is impossible to separate our development work from our wider diplomatic work. The greatest step forward that we can have for the people of Yemen is for the conflict to cease. So that we can concentrate solely on humanitarian support.
“Conflict resolution is a classic function of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. And indeed, when I speak to development partners in-country, they prioritise conflict resolution and therefore, the work of DFID and the work of the FCO go hand-in-hand supporting the people of Yemen.
Speaking later, Simon Baynes MP said:
“I was very pleased to hear the Minister for the Middle East, James Cleverly’s response. Since becoming the MP for Clwyd South, constituents have contacted me to express their deep concern about the ongoing conflict and humanitarian crisis in Yemen.
“And I’m glad to hear that the new merged Department will prioritise humanitarian aid as well as conflict resolution to help the people of Yemen.
