UK Prime Minister's Efforts in Riyadh to 'Prevent Catastrophe in Yemen'

The office of the UK Prime Minister announced that Theresa May, the Prime Minister of the UK, called for urgent actions to 'prevent a humanitarian catastrophe' during her meeting with senior Saudi officials. Theresa May arrived in Riyadh on Wednesday, December 8, and met with King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. It was initially stated that discussions with the King and Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia regarding the Yemen war would be at the top of the agenda for this visit. Ms. May also promised to request Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to allow the use of the port of Hodeidah for sending humanitarian aid to the people of Yemen. The port of Hodeidah, which is controlled by Iran-backed Shia Houthis, is one of Yemen's besieged ports and is considered the main channel for UN aid to Yemen. Now, as reported by AFP citing a statement from the UK Prime Minister's office on Thursday, December 9, it appears that Theresa May has fulfilled her promise and insisted on efforts to lift the siege and prevent a catastrophe in Yemen. The statement read: 'The Prime Minister made it clear that if we want to prevent a humanitarian catastrophe, the flow of commercial shipments [to Yemen] must be resumed.' The statement also mentioned that the Saudi side 'agreed' that 'urgent steps should be taken to resolve this issue.' However, reports did not provide details on these 'steps' or practical actions. Following an unsuccessful missile launch by Houthi militants towards Riyadh, Saudi Arabia ordered the closure of communication routes to Yemen's airports and ports on November 13 of this year. However, under international pressure, Saudi officials have promised to allow the reopening of Yemen's ports for humanitarian aid, a promise that has yet to be fulfilled. The Saudi-led regional coalition has been conducting military operations in Yemen since 2015 to support the government of Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi and counter the Shia Houthi militants. The war in Yemen has put the country at risk of famine. Saudi Arabia is the largest trading partner of the UK in the Middle East, and as AFP reports, since March 2015, London has approved arms sales contracts worth nearly $4.5 billion to Riyadh.