- UK stands with Government of Yemen against Houthi
influence with first Ministerial visit in six years
- UK-backed programmes include maritime security operations to
combat piracy and weapons smuggling
- UK working to prevent security threats at home through
commitment to supporting peace and stability in the Middle
East
UK support to help Yemen combat piracy and weapons smuggling was
on show as became the first UK
Minister to visit the country in six years.
The Minister for the Middle East discussed how the two countries
work together to support security and stability in the region,
address the devastating humanitarian situation, and safeguard
against the destabilising actions of the Houthis.
In the visit earlier this week, the Minister toured a Coast
Guard outpost on the front-line of policing maritime-crime and
piracy in the Gulf of Aden, including new and refurbished
interceptor and patrol vessels, funded by the UK. As one of the
busiest shipping lanes in the world, piracy and attacks on
shipping vessels cause critical delays to the passage of freight,
including some bound for the UK, causing market instability and
passing costs onto British insurance brokers.
To tackle this, the UK announced $4 million support to the Yemen
Coast Guard at a conference in Riyadh in September, committing
vital equipment and boats for the Yemeni coastguard to help them
tackle weapons smuggling, protect coastal communities, and defend
against piracy.
At the Coast Guard outpost, the Minister inspected the new boats
and vital communications and search equipment. He also heard more
on how the support would allow the coastguard to upgrade and
bolster their wider fleet of vessels, giving them the resource
needed to deliver more stability to the people of Yemen, greater
protections to critical international shipping lanes, while
ensuring freedom of navigation in the Gulf of Aden and the Red
Sea.
During the one-day visit Minister Falconer met with UK-backed aid
organisations working to address the dire humanitarian situation
in Yemen. While at the Ash-Sha'b camp for internally displaced
people and the Dar Saad Health Clinic, he saw how UK aid is
helping to tackle malnutrition, deliver vaccination programmes,
and provide assistance to the most vulnerable families.
As one of Yemen's leading international partners, the Minister
reiterated the UK's longstanding support of the Yemeni people,
and highlighted the vital work being done to support Yemenis with
lifesaving aid and humanitarian programmes focused on alleviating
hunger and treating diseases.
Minister for the Middle East, said:
The Houthis have threatened global shipping, kidnapped aid
workers and deepened starvation.
But there is another side to Yemen - friendly people with a deep
culture and longstanding connections to the UK.
Our partnership with Yemen is critical to strengthen maritime
security, and to send a message to the Houthis - you're
threatening the region and harming your countrymen.
My visit showed me how UK support for the coastguard is helping
to crack down on weapons smuggling and protect our shipping route
from Houthi destabilisation.
And I've seen first hand how UK funded health clinics are
providing lifesaving support to those most in need.
But the humanitarian situation remains dire. Only by working
closely with Yemen, and international partners, can we make a
tangible difference to Yemenis, and support stability in the
wider region.”
During the visit, Minister Falconer met with the Yemeni
leadership, including President Rashad Al-Alimi and Prime
Minister Salem Saleh Bin Breik, to reaffirm the UK's unwavering
support for the Government of Yemen's stability and programme of
reforms.
This visit follows the launch of a UK-led initiative in January
to provide financial and political support for Yemen's future,
including a technical assistance fund.
The UK is committed to UN-led peace efforts in Yemen which remain
the best route to ensuring a long-term political settlement in
Yemen.
