The threat by the Houthi rebels to tax humanitarian aid in Yemen - a threat that had alarmed the entire humanitarian community - receded on Friday, 14 February, as the rebels announced their intention to renounce it. "This is good news", commented a European Commission spokesperson.
Obstacles to humanitarian access and the risks to aid workers in what is the world's worst humanitarian crisis were central to a conference in Brussels on Thursday 13 February organised by the Commissioner for Crisis Management, Janez Lenarčič, and the Swedish Minister for International Development Cooperation, Peter Eriksson, to bring together representatives of UN humanitarian agencies and NGOs working in extreme conditions on the ground.
"Without secure access to aid, millions of lives are at stake. The parties to the conflict must uphold international humanitarian law and guarantee safe and unimpeded access to humanitarian organisations," the Commissioner said.
In a joint statement agreed on Thursday evening and issued on Friday, the Commissioner and the Swedish Minister expressed alarm at the rapid deterioration of the humanitarian space throughout the country.
"We have reached a breaking point where the delivery of life-saving assistance is at risk. Concrete change is needed in order to continue to provide vital support to the people of Yemen. All restrictions, obstructions and interference violating humanitarian principles should be removed immediately and once and for all", they stressed.
They welcomed the commitment of the humanitarian community to a common approach based on : - the recalibration of humanitarian aid, or even the interruption of certain operations where it proves impossible to provide assistance ; - dialogue with all parties and following up on recent indications of readiness to remove any impediments to the delivery of aid.
Since 2015, the Commission has mobilised €440 million in humanitarian aid for victims of the conflict in Yemen. (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)