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Federal Foreign Office on the situation in Yemen – increase in humanitarian assistance
The Federal Foreign Office issued the following statement today (26 September) on the humanitarian and political situation in Yemen:
The humanitarian situation in Yemen continues to be catastrophic. Moreover, the UN aid plan for Yemen has only received 49 percent of the necessary funds. In view of this inadequate funding, the Federal Government has decided to set aside a further ten million euros for humanitarian assistance in Yemen. Germany is therefore providing a total of 130 million euros for humanitarian assistance in the country this year.
The situation in Yemen has not improved significantly nine months after the Stockholm agreement. It is clear that there can only be a political solution. The Federal Government supports the tireless efforts of UN Special Envoy for Yemen Martin Griffiths to resume an inclusive political process leading to peace negotiations, both politically and financially. Foreign Minister Heiko Maas attended a meeting today (26 September) with the five permanent members of the UN Security Council, as well as Sweden and Kuwait, to discuss how a swift resumption of the political process led by the UN can be supported. There was a consensus that the regular attacks by Houthi rebels on civilian targets in Saudi Arabia must cease immediately.
Background information:
While the ceasefire in the province of Hodeidah is being respected for the most part and details regarding the withdrawal of troops are being discussed in the region, fighting continues unabated in other sections of the front. At the same time, there have been further violent clashes in the south of the country, which have not yet been brought to an end despite the mediation efforts on the part of Saudi Arabia, which we welcome.
We fully support the UN Special Envoy’s plans to convene inclusive informal talks. Such meetings of the permanent Security Council members as well as countries heavily involved both in seeking to resolve the conflict and in the Security Council can make a valuable contribution to the peaceful resolution of the conflict.