IT is a poor country, far away.
It is not a key trade partner or ally. It is not often on the Six O’Clock News. It is not, in short, a place that registers with the general public, not somewhere many could pinpoint on a map.
So why then this fuss about Yemen? Why the concern? Why is it important? The crisis gripping Yemen has major humanitarian, political and security implications for the country, the region and the wider world.
A geographically important nation, Yemen sits on a key waterway through which much of the world’s oil shipments pass.
The internal war between Houthi rebels and the elected government is also part of wider tension in the region, with Gulf Arab states accusing Iran of backing the Houthis as a Saudi-led coalition fights the group in support of President Hadi. Meanwhile, terror group al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula is gaining ground amid the chaos and UK companies are making billions from arms sales to Saudi Arabia.
Those weapons are said to have been used in war crimes against the civilian population. Therefore, the UK’s role in the crisis and its response to it must be scrutinised.
Yemenis make up a small fraction of asylum claimants, yet there is evidence of lengthy delays for those who seek refuge and little is known about the fate of those who are rejected. The humanitarian response to the man-made disaster crippling Yemen must come from both home and abroad. There is a responsibility to taxpayers, and there is a broader moral obligation.
We have helped create this chaos. What, then, are we doing for those who make it here? It’s a simple question.
MP's call to end UK Government secrecy over the fate of Yemeni refugees
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