Question to the Department for International Development:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, for what reason the United Nations High-Level Panel meeting on 25 September 2018, Addressing Malnutrition in Yemen, was closed to the media, and if she will publish a copy of the presentation and briefing given to attendees at the event by UK representatives.

The UK hosted a side event at the 2018 UN General Assembly on ‘Addressing Malnutrition in Yemen’ on 25 September, which I chaired alongside UN Agencies. The meeting discussed the worsening malnutrition in Yemen, the challenges, as well a Call to Action to the UN, NGOs and donors to more comprehensively tackle malnutrition. The roundtable did not have media attendance due to the technical nature of the discussion. A statement was released following the event and a finalised Call to Action will be published imminently.

I also attended an OCHA- led UN High-Level Panel on the ‘Humanitarian Response in Yemen’ on 24 September. The event highlighted the life-saving impact of humanitarian assistance in Yemen.