UK support to help Yemen combat piracy and weapons smuggling in first UK Ministerial visit to Yemen in six years.
- UK stands with Government of Yemen against Houthi influence with first Ministerial visit in six years
- UK-backed programmes include maritime security operations to combat piracy and weapons smuggling
- UK working to prevent security threats at home through commitment to supporting peace and stability in the Middle East
UK support to help Yemen combat piracy and weapons smuggling was on show as Hamish Falconer became the first UK Minister to visit the country in six years.
The Minister for the Middle East discussed how the two countries work together to support security and stability in the region, address the devastating humanitarian situation, and safeguard against the destabilising actions of the Houthis.
In the visit earlier this week, the Minister toured a Coast Guard outpost on the front-line of policing maritime-crime and piracy in the Gulf of Aden, including new and refurbished interceptor and patrol vessels, funded by the UK. As one of the busiest shipping lanes in the world, piracy and attacks on shipping vessels cause critical delays to the passage of freight, including some bound for the UK, causing market instability and passing costs onto British insurance brokers.
To tackle this, the UK announced $4 million support to the Yemen Coast Guard at a conference in Riyadh in September, committing vital equipment and boats for the Yemeni coastguard to help them tackle weapons smuggling, protect coastal communities, and defend against piracy.
At the Coast Guard outpost, the Minister inspected the new boats and vital communications and search equipment. He also heard more on how the support would allow the coastguard to upgrade and bolster their wider fleet of vessels, giving them the resource needed to deliver more stability to the people of Yemen, greater protections to critical international shipping lanes, while ensuring freedom of navigation in the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea.
During the one-day visit Minister Falconer met with UK-backed aid organisations working to address the dire humanitarian situation in Yemen. While at the Ash-Sha'b camp for internally displaced people and the Dar Saad Health Clinic, he saw how UK aid is helping to tackle malnutrition, deliver vaccination programmes, and provide assistance to the most vulnerable families.
As one of Yemen's leading international partners, the Minister reiterated the UK's longstanding support of the Yemeni people, and highlighted the vital work being done to support Yemenis with lifesaving aid and humanitarian programmes focused on alleviating hunger and treating diseases.
Minister for the Middle East, Hamish Falconer said:
The Houthis have threatened global shipping, kidnapped aid workers and deepened starvation.
But there is another side to Yemen - friendly people with a deep culture and longstanding connections to the UK.
Our partnership with Yemen is critical to strengthen maritime security, and to send a message to the Houthis - you're threatening the region and harming your countrymen.
My visit showed me how UK support for the coastguard is helping to crack down on weapons smuggling and protect our shipping route from Houthi destabilisation.
And I've seen first hand how UK funded health clinics are providing lifesaving support to those most in need.
But the humanitarian situation remains dire. Only by working closely with Yemen, and international partners, can we make a tangible difference to Yemenis, and support stability in the wider region."
During the visit, Minister Falconer met with the Yemeni leadership, including President Rashad Al-Alimi and Prime Minister Salem Saleh Bin Breik, to reaffirm the UK's unwavering support for the Government of Yemen's stability and programme of reforms.
This visit follows the launch of a UK-led initiative in January to provide financial and political support for Yemen's future, including a technical assistance fund.
The UK is committed to UN-led peace efforts in Yemen which remain the best route to ensuring a long-term political settlement in Yemen.
