On Monday 19 November in Brussels, European Foreign Ministers expressed the EU's willingness to contribute to a lasting political solution in Yemen, to put an end to three years of war, and to continue the vital humanitarian effort for the people, under the aegis of the United Nations.
The subject was discussed over lunch, at a time when the EU's concerns are high in the face of the worst humanitarian crisis in the world.
However, the international community is also showing renewed optimism, believing that a window of opportunity may have opened in recent days. Recent examples include the call by a Houthi leader for the suspension of military operations to support the efforts of the United Nations Special Envoy to Yemen, Martin Griffith, to revive political consultations between the parties to the conflict in Stockholm, Sweden, and the announcement of the Yemeni government's participation in the peace negotiations.
"The EU is working fully to help achieve the consolidation of de-escalation measures, a ceasefire and the start of substantive political negotiations in the coming weeks," EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini told the press. She pointed out that the ministers had discussed the additional political support that the EU could provide to Mr Griffith for the resumption of political negotiations, without giving further details.
On her arrival at the Council, Austrian Minister Karin Kneissl said that ‘the EU must make a political contribution in order to achieve a ceasefire in Yemen’. "We must now put pressure on the various interlocutors, whether Saudis, Emirates or Iranians, who can pass on messages to the Houthis, so that the meetings scheduled for early December can be held and that we can finally have a little peace in this humanitarian tragedy, in this civil and regional war," stressed the French Minister, Jean-Yves Le Drian.
According to Ms Mogherini, the EU can also contribute to the de-escalation of tensions, citing, for example, the discussions led by Italy, France, Germany and the United Kingdom with Iran on the Yemeni question, which would have helped to improve the situation in the country.
Silence on the weapons. However, for the Europeans, support for peace does not require the adoption of an arms embargo against Saudi Arabia. While Ms Kneissl said she was “convinced that stopping the supply of war material is essential to end the war in Yemen", Ms Mogherini explained that the issue of the embargo had not been addressed. “For the time being, we remain on the basis of national decisions, it is not discussed at European level”, she explained, recalling that each Member State had specific policies concerning the sale of arms.
Critical humanitarian access. The potential ceasefire will greatly depend on the possibility of massively delivering humanitarian aid to victims in the country where 22 million people, out of a total population of 29 million, need assistance to survive and 13 million are in a pre-famine situation (see EUROPE 12136).
"It should not be forgotten that the EU remains the main donor. We are very concerned about developments on the ground. We continue to work with the United Nations to ensure that humanitarian access is guaranteed and humanitarian needs are met", said Ms Mogherini.
The United Nations is preparing an emergency humanitarian assistance plan to provide food, medicine and other essential supplies to some 14 million people each month.
Speaking of the ‘dramatic’ humanitarian situation, the Austrian minister said there was ‘a dynamic’ to emerge from the war ‘with her head held high’ and stressed the importance of ‘providing humanitarian aid and accompanying it with a political solution’. (Original version in French by Aminata Niang and Camille-Cerise Gessant)