On Tuesday 21 November, High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini called for the restoration of humanitarian and trade access to Yemen – where the situation of the people is catastrophic.
"It is urgent to increase efforts by all sides to resume the UN-led negotiating process", Mogherini stated in a press release that does not make any mention of Saudi Arabia – which since March 2015 has been imposing a blockade. This blockade was reinforced in early November following Riyadh's interception in the sky of a missile fired from Yemen. "The protection of the civilian population and civilian infrastructure needs to be treated as a priority by all parties", Mogherini added. She said that access to humanitarian and commercial goods to large parts of Yemen –where most of the population is concentrated – has now remained blocked for two weeks, despite the opening of sea and airports under the control of the government. "This is having a dramatic impact on the delivery of life-saving assistance and an ever-deteriorating situation on the ground", she said. While "fully recognising the serious security threat incoming from Yemen", Mogherini said it is the EU's "firm belief that hindering vital humanitarian access to the Yemeni population that is already on the brink of famine and subject to a spreading cholera outbreak will not effectively address these security concerns".
Some 15 million Yemenis were already in a situation of food crisis before the strengthening of the blockade in November. According to the UN, famine threatens 7 million Yemenis, and according to the International Committee of the Red Cross, 2.5 million inhabitants do not have access to drinking water because of a lack of fuel to make the pumping stations work. This could make the cholera epidemic worse.
Mogherini said it was urgent to step up all parties' efforts to resume the UN-led negotiating process. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)