This Sunday marks two years since the Stockholm Agreement was signed. Since then the war and humanitarian crisis in Yemen has only got worse. The UK can and should play a large role in stabilising the crisis, both as an international leader in the UN and as a supplier of arms to Saudi Arabia. I have written to the Prime Minister and the UN’s Representative in Yemen to address the devastating loss of life in Yemen and call for greater action to bring a lasting peace to the country.

See below for a plain text version.

Plain text version

Dear Prime Minister,

War in Yemen

I am writing to express my significant concern about the continued violence throughout Yemen.

We are all too familiar with the scale of human devastation that the War in Yemen has had on its people. After five years of brutal conflict the countries healthcare system is on the verge of collapse, two million children remain out of school and millions of Yemeni people are malnourished as a result of obstructions to the access of humanitarian aid.

Sunday marks the two-year anniversary of the signing of the Stockholm Agreement between the Yemeni Government and the Houthi’s. An event that should have marked a turning point in the war and humanitarian crisis has instead become a symbol of the international community’s failure to secure a lasting peace in Yemen.

A report from Oxfam found that since the signing of the Stockholm Agreement, 592 civilians have been killed and 2,136 have been wounded in two areas. They said attacks on civilians have increased since the agreement and called on the international community to do more, including halting the sale of weapons for use in the war.

I fully support this. The UK has an established leading role in the international community with regards to Yemen. It’s voice should be loud and unapologetic calling for talks and ultimately peace in the country. The continued license of arms sales to Yemen contradicts all our countries efforts to achieve peace.

I therefore urge you to do the right thing and urgently work with our partners in the international community to push all parties for a lasting peace in Yemen and an end to the humanitarian crisis.

Yours sincerely,

Gill Furniss MP

Chair, Labour Friends of Yemen

Member of Parliament for Sheffield Brightside and Hillsborough