Yemen crisis: Save the Children's response to Secretary of State's intervention

December 18 - In response to International Development Secretary Penny Mordaunt’s warning that Saudi Arabia may have breached International Humanitarian Law with its ongoing blockade of Yemen and DfID’s announcement of an extra £50 million in aid, Save the Children CEO Kevin Watkins said:

“The Secretary of State’s intervention on Yemen is both urgently needed, and part of a very welcome hardening of the Government’s position. The situation in Yemen is getting worse by the day, and Save the Children and other aid agencies are struggling to help the more than 400,000 acutely malnourished children who need life-saving support to prevent them starving to death. This tragedy has been caused by the actions of the warring parties, including the UK’s allies in Saudi Arabia and the UAE who continue to block essential and commercial supplies from entering Yemen.

"The new money pledged from the Department for International Development will make a real difference in the midst of the world’s biggest humanitarian crisis, and it’s vital other donors also step up.

"Our staff met with the Secretary of State in Djibouti and made clear that aid alone cannot end the suffering in Yemen – as the violence escalates further, we need an immediate ceasefire and action from the UN Security Council to address repeated, alleged, violations of international humanitarian law.”