UK Airstrike: Houthi Military Facility Debate

Full Debate: Read Full Debate
Department: Ministry of Defence

UK Airstrike: Houthi Military Facility

Alex Ballinger Excerpts
Wednesday 30th April 2025

(2 days, 16 hours ago)

Commons Chamber
Read Full debate Read Hansard Text Watch Debate Read Debate Ministerial Extracts
Alex Ballinger Portrait Alex Ballinger (Halesowen) (Lab)
- View Speech - Hansard - -

I add my words of support for the action the UK took last night. The Houthi group is a terrorist organisation that has been deeply destabilising and it is right that we are playing our role in protecting freedom of navigation. The Halesowen community of Yemenis are really concerned about the desperate humanitarian situation in Yemen. Could the Secretary of State add a few more words on what we are doing to support Yemenis who are so desperate right now, and what we are doing to end the civil war?

John Healey Portrait John Healey
- View Speech - Hansard - - - Excerpts

Yes. I mentioned the in-year uplift that the Foreign Secretary gave to our contribution to the Yemeni humanitarian assistance plan, which makes us the third-largest donor. Our focus on aid has been especially on food, of which there is a critical shortage and which is a necessity to hundreds of thousands of Yemenis. We calculate that we will have helped almost 900,000 Yemenis with our food support this year. Our support is also in healthcare, supporting over 700 medical centres across the country with medicines, vaccines and some of the basic equipment needed to provide the healthcare that people also so desperately need in that country.