Foreign Office Minister welcomes Yemen ceasefire and peace talks
Tobias Ellwood urges all parties to participate in good faith
Minister for the Middle East, Tobias Ellwood, has welcomed the UN facilitated peace talks for Yemen and the commencement of a ceasefire. The talks were announced by the UN Special Envoy of the Secretary General for Yemen, Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed, and start today (15 December). A seven-day ceasefire started at midday local time in conjunction with the talks.
Mr Ellwood said:
We fully support the UN’s efforts to bring about a political solution to the conflict in Yemen. The peace talks are the best way to bring long-term stability to the country, and to address the humanitarian catastrophe.
I urge all parties to participate in the talks in good faith, with optimism for a constructive outcome. The UK also strongly encourages all parties to the conflict to respect the ceasefire, which will allow urgent medical and humanitarian aid to reach those in need. Yemen is now one of the worst humanitarian crises in the world, with more than 80 per cent of the population in need of humanitarian aid. The UK has doubled its humanitarian assistance to Yemen over the last year to £75 million, making the UK the fourth largest donor to the crisis.
The people of Yemen deserve to live in stability, and I hope these talks allow Yemen to move towards a sustainable peace.
Further information
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Follow Foreign Office Minister Tobias Ellwood on Twitter @Tobias_Ellwood
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