Question to the Department for International Development:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of access for medical supplies to north Yemen.

Access for vital supplies of medicine, food, and fuel into northern Yemen is crucial, with 70% of the people in humanitarian need in Houthi-held areas in the north of the country.

Since the start of 2018, more than 2,000 metric tonnes of medical supplies have been delivered by dedicated vessels through the port of Hodeidah. Medical supplies are also imported into Red Sea ports on commercial vessels predominantly carrying food or fuel. In the last three months imports through Red Sea ports have increased. Further medical supplies also enter northern Yemen through UN flights into Sana’a airport. So far this year, these flights have been reliable and only one has not taken off as planned. UN agencies additionally import medical supplies through the southern port of Aden; we do not have an exact figure at this time, but they form only a clear minority of the total imports of medical supplies.

The UK has provided £1.3 million to support the UN’s Verification and Inspection Mechanism and speed up the process of clearing commercial vessels entering Yemen. We have also provided over £2 million to the UN to support its air services into Sana’a.