MP, Leader of the , has today (Monday) written
to Prime Minister demanding her Government acts
to end the conflict in Yemen.
The letter follows repeated reports from the United Nations (UN)
and other agencies about the scale of the “devastation and
destruction in Yemen”, with millions of Yemenis at risk of death
as aid cannot be delivered.
argues that the “UK has a
crucial role to play” and calls for the UK to end support for the
Saudi-led coalition’s conduct in this war. He urges the
Government to suspend arms sales to Saudi Arabia, and call for an
immediate ceasefire through the UN to enable the negotiation of a
long-term political peace.
Ends
Text of the letter
Dear Prime Minister
In light of continuing reports from the United Nations and others
of the devastation and destruction in Yemen, I am writing to
express deep concern about your Government’s role in supporting
the Saudi-led coalition in prolonging and escalating the
humanitarian crisis and impress on the need for you to call for
an immediate ceasefire.
At least 10,000 people have been killed since the conflict
started in 2014 and 7 million people are in extreme hunger. Food
shortages and the cholera outbreak are a direct result of the
continuing blockade of Yemen by the US and UK backed Saudi-led
coalition.
The Red Cross has confirmed that the cities of Taiz, Saads and
Hodeidah have now run out of clean water and sanitation due to
the deadly blockade putting 1 million people at risk of death by
famine and waterborne diseases.
The head of the World Food Program too warned today that millions
of Yemenis are at risk of death as aid deliveries cannot get to
those in need.
This weekend’s warnings from multiple UN agencies starkly state
the urgent need to lift the Saudi blockade, in order to stop this
already catastrophic humanitarian crisis becoming one of the
worst combinations of famine and disease since the 1980s, with
millions of innocent people, especially children, at risk of
death.
The UK has a crucial role to play in that decision, given the
Government’s strong support for all Saudi military action to
date, its continued authorisation of arms sales for use in the
conflict, and its year-long failure to bring forward a UN
resolution aimed at halting the conflict.
In August, former International Development Secretary , announced her department was
launching ‘a new offensive’ against Yemen’s man-made cholera
outbreak. For many, this incoherence in foreign and development
policy is beyond belief. It cannot be aid packages from the UK
one day, and missiles the next. With this in mind, I urge your
Government to suspend the sale of arms to Saudi Arabia, pending
the outcome of an independent, international UN-led investigation
of potential violations of international humanitarian law from
both sides of the conflict.
Given your Government’s role as ‘pen holder’ for drafting a fresh
UN resolution intended to secure a ceasefire in Yemen, and
enabling both the negotiation of a long-term political peace, why
has there been a delay in calling for a ceasefire process?
Whilst the immediate priority should be humanitarian assistance
to Yemen, it is time the Government takes immediate steps to play
its part in ending the suffering of the Yemeni people, ends its
support of the Saudi coalition’s conduct in the war and take
appropriate action to bring the conflict to a peaceful,
negotiated resolution.
Given the public interest in these issues, I will be making this
letter public.
Yours sincerely
