Press release

Foreign Secretary announces new UK funding to support UN peace process in Yemen

Today the UK Government has announced £2.5 million in additional funding to the UN peace process in Yemen.

From:
Foreign & Commonwealth Office, Department for International Development, and The Rt Hon Jeremy Hunt MP
Published
22 January 2019
Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt

Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt announces new UK funding to support UN peace process in Yemen

This uplift in spending, from the UK Government’s Conflict, Security and Stability Fund, will help establish the UN Civilian Coordinator’s Office, following the agreements made between parties at December’s UN peace talks in Stockholm. The UN Civilian Coordinator’s Office will play the leading role in coordinating support to the ports of Hodeidah, Salif and Ras Isa – Yemen’s lifeline. It will also focus on demining work and other civilian aspects of the Hodeidah Agreement. The Civilian Coordinator’s Office will be co-funded by Germany.

The announcement follows the UN Security Council’s unanimous adoption of UK-drafted resolution 2452 last week, which established a special political mission to support implementation of the ceasefire agreement reached in Stockholm.

The Stockholm Agreements, and the Hodeidah Agreement in particular, are integral steps in the road to long-term peace and stability in Yemen. They will also be pivotal in addressing the acute humanitarian crisis in the country. The funding announced by the UK today will help to the UN to ensure the survival of the ceasefire in its crucial first months.

Announcing the increase in spending today, Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt, said:

Yemen is the world’s worst humanitarian crisis. Up to 20 million Yemenis lack reliable access to food and over 400,000 children under the age of 5 suffer severe acute malnutrition. This is a man-made humanitarian catastrophe and it will have man-made solutions. The Stockholm Agreements are our best chance of securing long term peace in Yemen. The UK is therefore determined to support the implementation of these agreements. Last week’s Security Council vote and today’s announcement of an additional £2.5 million UK funding are an instrumental part of that process, and we will continue to bolster the UN Special Envoy’s work where possible over the coming months.

The strides made over recent weeks would not have been thought possible just a short time ago. But there is still a long way to go. I urge the Government of Yemen and the Houthis to work closely with the UN and in good faith to expedite implementation of these agreements. It is imperative that they show restraint and act in the interests of all Yemenis to being an end to this heart-breaking crisis.

Background

The new £2.5 million UK contribution comes from the Conflict, Security and Stability fund and will help fund the UN’s Civilian Coordinator’s Office to support the implementation of the Stockholm Agreement on the ground in Hodeidah. The Office will play the leading role in the civilian aspects of the Hodeidah Agreement including:

  • support to the planning and management of the three ports of Hodeidah, Salif and Ras Isa

  • expansion of the UN Verification and Monitoring Mission within the three ports, managed by the United Nations Office for Project Services

  • deployment and coordination of demining and explosive ordinance disposal capacity in Hodeidah through the UN Development Programme

  • support to the re-establishment of a local civilian policing function, including training and mentoring, through UN Development Programme

  • support to the planning and implementation of customs facilities and revenue collection for the ports, if agreed by the parties

UK funding will also provide armoured vehicles to UN teams if needed as well as providing technical expertise and assistance to support stabilisation, confidence building and governance in Hodeidah.

In April 2018, the UK announced £170 million in response to the humanitarian crisis in Yemen for this financial year 2018 to 2019. This funding will meet immediate food needs for 4 million Yemenis and brings the total UK bilateral support to Yemen to over £570 million since 2015.

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Published 22 January 2019

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