Joint Statement by Commissioner for Crisis Management Lenarčič and Swedish Minister for International Development Cooperation Eriksson

Following the high-level meeting co-organised by the European Commission and the Swedish government on the humanitarian situation in Yemen, Commissioner for Crisis Management, Janez Lenarčič, and Swedish Minister for International Development Cooperation, Peter Eriksson, have issued the following Joint Statement: “Needs in Yemen are unprecedented. (…)  We are deeply alarmed at the rapidly deteriorating humanitarian space all over the country. It has reached a breaking point where delivery of life-saving assistance is at risk. A concrete step 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. Therefore, we welcome the commitment reached today by the humanitarian community for a common approach to face these challenges. This includes recalibrating humanitarian assistance, including a downscaling, or even interruption, of certain operations, if and where delivery of humanitarian aid in accordance with the humanitarian principles is impossible. This also includes a dialogue with all parties and the recent indication of willingness to remove constraints for aid delivery on the ground needs to be followed up. An intensified engagement should therefore be immediately pursued including through high-level missions by the UN and donors to Yemen. (….) A long-term solution requires a comprehensive peace agreement (….).” The full statement is also available online.