Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the potential effect on the humanitarian situation for Yemeni people during the covid-19 pandemic of the US Administration's proposed designation of the Houthis as a terrorist group.

The UK is deeply concerned by assessments from the UN and NGOs that the US Administration's decision to designate the Houthis as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation is likely to disrupt the humanitarian response, an effect exacerbated by COVID-19. We have already engaged with the US to urge them to ensure that the vital humanitarian and COVID-19 response is able to reach Yemenis. We are calling on all parties in Yemen to facilitate the movement of humanitarian supplies and experts into and across the country to ensure an effective COVID-19 response. The UK is ready to support the World Health Organisation roll-out the COVID-19 vaccine once the Government of Yemen's application to the COVAX facility has been accepted. We are clear that agreeing a peace settlement will give Yemen the best chance of managing an outbreak of COVID-19; we call on all parties to engage constructively with the UN-led political process to achieve this.

On 3 December, the Foreign Secretary announced an extra £14million UK aid to help 1.5 million households access food and medicines, taking the UK's commitment to £214m this FY.