Question to the Department for International Development:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of access to Saada by humanitarian relief organisations after the military operations in that area in August 2018.

Insecurity, damaged infrastructure and bureaucratic constraints throughout Yemen, including in Sa’ada, continue to threaten the access of humanitarian relief organisations to the 22.2 million Yemenis in need of assistance across the country. As of August 2018, the UN assess Sa’ada district as having high access constraints.

We continue to work closely with our UN and NGO delivery partners, in Sa’ada and northern Yemen, who are operating under difficult circumstances to reach the most vulnerable. We also urge all parties to the conflict to ensure rapid, safe and unhindered humanitarian and commercial access across Yemen, including in Sa’ada, and to do everything possible to protect innocent civilians and demonstrate their commitment to International Humanitarian Law.