The UK is deeply concerned by the humanitarian situation in Yemen, which remains dire. We are committed to provide continued humanitarian assistance to help alleviate the dire conditions faced by millions of Yemenis.

We have played a leading role in responding to the humanitarian crisis, committing over £1 billion in aid since the conflict began in 2014.

In both 2022-23 and 2023-4 we committed £88 million in aid to Yemen, which has contributed to providing food to at least 100,000 people every month, delivering lifesaving health care through 400 facilities, and treating 22,000 severely malnourished children.

The UK assesses that Iran has directly supported Houthi attacks in the Red Sea. Specifically, Iran has provided intelligence to enable Houthi targeting of vessels. Furthermore, Iran has supplied the Houthis with missiles and UAVs used to attack international shipping. Iran should cease such support and use its influence to restrain its proxies to prevent further escalations.

The UK continues to seek the de-escalation of tensions in the Middle East. We are employing the full range of our diplomatic and security efforts, working with allies and international partners to counter groups seeking to undermine the region's peace, stability and prosperity.

Minister for the Middle East and North Africa, Lord Ahmad, spoke with the new Yemeni Foreign Minister Al-Zindani on 17 April. He reiterated the UK's commitment to an intra-Yemeni peace process under UN auspices.

We continue to champion the vital role of the UN Special Envoy to Yemen, Hans Grundberg, and welcomed his formal launch of the UN-led Roadmap in December. This was enabled following years of HMG's diplomatic support. An inclusive political settlement is the only way to bring sustainable peace and long-term stability to Yemen, and to address the worsening humanitarian crisis.

The UK is deeply concerned by the humanitarian situation in Yemen, which remains dire. We are committed to provide continued humanitarian assistance to help alleviate the dire conditions faced by millions of Yemenis.

We have played a leading role in responding to the humanitarian crisis, committing over £1 billion in aid since the conflict began in 2014.

In both 2022-23 and 2023-4 we committed £88 million in aid to Yemen, which has contributed to providing food to at least 100,000 people every month, delivering lifesaving health care through 400 facilities, and treating 22,000 severely malnourished children.

The UK remains deeply concerned by reports of gender-based violence (GBV), including conflict-related sexual violence, in Yemen. We know that in conflict, women and girls are disproportionately impacted. That is why we have made Yemen a focus country in the UK's National Action Plan on Women, Peace & Security. Through the National Action Plan, cross-government efforts will prioritise women's full, equal, meaningful and safe participation in conflict prevention, reduction and resolution. The UK champions the important role women, youth and civil society can play - both in securing, and sustaining, peace in Yemen.

In addition, FCDO funds our Women and Children Programme to address the needs of women and children in Yemen. Funding for 2023-2024 is £38 million. This will include interventions aimed at preventing and responding to GBV in subsequent years.

The UN's Humanitarian Response Plan for 2024 identifies that 17.6 million people continue to suffer from acute food insecurity in Yemen. The ongoing conflict, insecurity and economic crisis remain the main drivers.

Furthermore, the disruption to shipping in the Red Sea caused by Houthi attacks risks driving up costs of food and humanitarian aid supplies to Yemen. The Houthis have been attacking the very sea lanes that the Yemeni people depend on: 90 percent of food staples, such as wheat are, imported.

The UK is committed to provide continued humanitarian assistance to help alleviate the dire conditions faced by millions of Yemenis. This financial year (FY23/24), the UK's £88 million humanitarian pledge has contributed to providing food to at least 100,000 of the most vulnerable every month, providing lifesaving healthcare through 400 healthcare facilities and treating 22,000 of severely malnourished children.

The UK is committed to ensuring freedom of navigation and trade.

Promoting the right to Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) is a longstanding human rights priority for the UK. We regularly emphasise the importance of human rights, including FoRB, through our engagements with Governments and other key partners. We are also firmly committed to the protection of ethnic and religious minorities around the world, including in Yemen.

We continue to actively monitor the situation of the Baha'i, Muhamasheen, and Jewish communities, including through meeting with their representatives in the UK.

We urge the Houthis to cease their persecution, mistreatment and arbitrary detention of Yemenis detained for their beliefs.

The UK seeks to mitigate any unintended negative impacts of sanctions, including on humanitarian aid delivery. The UK's Yemen sanctions regulations include an exception which allows eligible humanitarian organisations, their service providers and delivery partners, to undertake activities necessary to ensure the timely delivery of humanitarian assistance, and to support other activities that support basic human needs.

The UK is deeply concerned by the humanitarian situation in Yemen, which remains dire despite the truce-like conditions since April 2022. This de facto truce offers the most significant opportunity for peace in Yemen in years. We welcome the conclusion of the Saudi-Houthi talks and the formal launch of the UN-led Roadmap by the UN Special Envoy to Yemen, Hans Grundberg, on 23 December 2023. This transition to an intra-Yemeni peace process under UN auspices has been reached following years of HMG's diplomatic support.

What the Houthis are doing in the Red Sea is unacceptable, illegal and threatening freedom of navigation. Their reckless actions are putting innocent lives at risk, reducing the flow of humanitarian aid to those who need it most in Yemen, threatening the global economy, and destabilising the region.

We are using every diplomatic lever at our disposal to pressure the Houthis to desist. It is in all our interests to work together to de-escalate tensions.

Yemen is almost entirely reliant on imports for food, importing approximately 90 per cent of food staples such as wheat. Hodeidah Port is key to food security in Yemen, as it receives 40 to 50 per cent of the country's food imports, as well as essential food aid.

The disruption to shipping in the Red Sea caused by Houthi attacks, risks driving up costs of supplies of food and humanitarian aid in the region, including to Yemen, Sudan, Somalia, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Sudan, and Lebanon.

Our clear aim is the continued full operation of the joint UK-US military base on Diego Garcia, which plays a crucial role in national, regional and global security. Mauritius has made clear publicly that it supports this goal. The joint UK/US military facility helps to keep people around the world safe, combatting some of the most challenging threats to international peace and security.

We must look at all the risks there could be in any change of circumstances. The UK will only enter into an agreement that protects our national interests and those of our partners.

As at the end of November 2023, there were zero staff with a working location of Sana'a or Yemen.

The British Embassy in Sana'a temporarily suspended operations in 2015 as a result of conflict in Yemen.

The British Embassy in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia provides remote consular support to British Nationals in Yemen. Prior to October 2023, our case management system did not enable us to isolate all consular assistance cases from within Yemen. Since October 2023 we can confirm that we have provided assistance to fewer than five British Nationals. British Nationals planning to visit or already in Yemen can visit the FCDO travel advice pages for Yemen and sign up to email alerts.

After months of negotiations, in November, the World Food Programme (WFP) made the difficult decision to pause food distributions in the north of Yemen due to Houthi unwillingness to target food aid at the families who need it most. The UK has worked closely with WFP as it made this decision. We support WFP's efforts to ensure aid reaches those most in need and will further support WFP to resume food distributions once an agreement with the Houthi authorities is reached.

Ensuring food security for vulnerable populations in Yemen remains a UK priority. The FCDO's Food Security Safety Net programme will spend up to £250 million over 5 years, aiming to tackle food insecurity by providing cash transfers to up to 1.5 million of Yemen's most food insecure households through funding partners such as WFP, Social Fund for Development, and a consortium of NGOs.

The United Kingdom condemns the unlawful seizure of MV Galaxy Leader by the Houthis in the Red Sea and we call for the immediate, and unconditional, release of the ship and its crew.

Iran has long provided military and political support to the Houthis. We have made it clear to Iran that it bears responsibility for the actions of its proxies and partners. Iran must actively restrain these groups to prevent the conflict escalating across the region.

The UK is committed to ensuring the safety of shipping in the region, including through our contribution to the International Maritime Security Construct (IMSC) and Combined Maritime Forces (CMF).

Civilian casualties in Yemen have remained largely unchanged, despite truce-like conditions over the past eighteen months having reduced frontline violence. 500 fatalities and 1300 injuries were recorded among civilians in the year up to September 2023. Conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV) continues to be perpetrated, including in detention as a form of torture. According to the International Organisation for Migration, over 77,000 migrants from the Horn of Africa remain at risk in Yemen from human rights violations including torture, violence, and trafficking.

The UK Government discussed the allegations in private and will continue to do so using a range of diplomatic channels. No aspect of our relationship prevents us from speaking frankly about human rights.

We are aware of NGO and media reports about the deaths of migrants at the Saudi-Yemen border. The UK Government has raised the matter with the Saudi authorities, including at Ministerial level. The Minister for the Middle East and Human Rights, Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon, raised the issue with the Saudi Minister of State for Foreign Affairs in August, and most recently with the President of the Saudi Human Rights Commission. The UK's relationship with Saudi Arabia covers a broad range of interests, however no aspect of our relationship prevents us from speaking frankly about human rights. We regularly discuss human rights with the Saudi authorities through a range of diplomatic channels including Ministers, our Ambassador, and the British Embassy in Riyadh.

We are aware of NGO and media reports about the deaths of migrants at the Saudi-Yemen border. The UK Government has raised the matter with the Saudi authorities, including at Ministerial level. The Minister for the Middle East and Human Rights, Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon, raised the issue with the Saudi Minister of State for Foreign Affairs in August, and most recently with the President of the Saudi Human Rights Commission. The UK's relationship with Saudi Arabia covers a broad range of interests, however no aspect of our relationship prevents us from speaking frankly about human rights. We regularly discuss human rights with the Saudi authorities through a range of diplomatic channels including Ministers, our Ambassador, and the British Embassy in Riyadh.

Food insecurity and malnutrition levels in Yemen remain severe in 2023: 17 million people currently experience acute food insecurity. With 90% of Yemen's food being imported, exchange rate volatility is a leading factor driving famine risk. Consequently, the FCDO's Affordability of Food & Finance in Yemen (AFFY) programme targets short-term economic stabilisation and conflict-related drivers of food insecurity.

In the longer-term, AFFY aims to support prospects for peace and recovery by laying the groundwork for large-scale recovery and reconstruction funding that would follow a peace settlement. The AFFY programme will spend up to £17 million over 3 years. AFFY sits within our wider portfolio of programmes targeting food insecurity and humanitarian need.