Following the adoption of a resolution on the humanitarian situation in Yemen today by the European Parliament in Strasbourg, S&D Group vice-president Elena Valenciano MEP said:

“Yemen is the country with the most lives in danger, and nevertheless hardly anyone talks about Yemen. The country is struggling between catastrophe and tragedy but we must remember that this catastrophe is caused by human actions.

“18 million people – two thirds of the country! – are suffering from severe hunger in Yemen and urgently need humanitarian aid. Two and a half million children are suffering from acute malnutrition. Easily preventable diseases are destroying lives, including a cholera outbreak that keeps spreading, creating a critical situation, which is particularly desperate for children. We urge all players involved to allow the unhindered access of humanitarian aid to all the people in need.

“We want the European Union to be more active and exert more influence in the quest for a solution to this tragedy, including through encouraging intra-Yemeni dialogue aimed at rebuilding trust between the parties. There are few political players in the world with the capacity and credibility of the EU to contribute to resolving the terrible situation that the country is facing. We must all commit ourselves to act now.”

S&D Group vice-president Victor Boştinaru MEP said:

"The Yemenis are starving because of the war. Both parties are turning starvation into a weapon of war. It is a civil war that is fuelled by Saudi Arabia and Iran, and both sides bear the responsibility for this unprecedented human disaster. At the end of the day the only thing that matters is to save Yemeni lives from famine and cholera as this can only get worse as the conflict continues!

"The most important thing today is that the European Union, its member states and the international community exert all their influence and pressure on the two sides to reach a ceasefire, to allow humanitarian aid access to the populations in need and to open the ports and airports so that staple foods can be brought in. The European Union could have a key role in the political transition in Yemen, as it can be seen as an honest broker. Finally it is absolutely necessary to ensure full funding for the Humanitarian Response Plan."