Question to the Department for International Development:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment her Department has made of the humanitarian needs of the civilians trapped in Hodeidah, Yemen; and what steps she is taking to help fulfil those needs.

The UK continues to raise concerns with the Saudi led-Coalition about the potential impact of any assault on the port and city of Hodeidah and is monitoring the resumption of hostilities in and around Hodeidah closely. The impact of the violence around Hodeidah on commercial and humanitarian access is one of the main reasons behind the UN’s warning of the growing risk of further food insecurity in Yemen.

The UK is supporting the World Food Programme (WFP) with £35 million to respond to urgent food needs in Yemen this year. This funding will provide enough cash transfers and food vouchers to meet the immediate food needs of 4 million Yemenis. In addition, UK funding this year has helped WFP pre-position enough supplies to feed more than a million families for a month, as well as over a million litres of fuel to support hospitals and clean water facilities in Hodeidah governorate.

UK aid partners continue to deliver life-saving support on the ground as part of our £170 million response in Yemen this year, including cash transfers to 21,000 people displaced from Hodeidah, as well as 75,000 litres of clean water a day. Efforts are now focused on scaling up lifesaving activities within the humanitarian response.