Portsmouth South MP Flick Drummond has written to the government asking it to ensure aid is delivered to civilians in war-torn Yemen.
The humanitarian crisis in the Middle East country has been overlooked as the media concentrate on the war in Syria, but an estimated 2.5 million inhabitants have been displaced by the conflict that has raged over the last year and killed more than 3000 civilians through badly targeted airstrikes.
Ports and airports remain closed or only partially open and food and shelter cannot get through to the hungry and homeless.
‘I have written to the Department of International Development asking it to do everything it can to get the ports and airports open so that aid can reach those in need,” said Flick, who was born in Aden, which used to be the capital of Yemen.
‘There are hopes that a ceasefire between all the groups fighting will start soon with the Saudi-led coalition aiming for a political solution which should help this desperate situation, but aid has to start getting through in much greater volumes than it has to date otherwise more people will die.
‘Britain has played a major part in paying for and trying to get aid to Yemen and so we are now well placed to ensure more is done to help those who have suffered from this conflict. I’m urging the department to continue its good work.
‘The crisis in Syria has rightly made headlines across the world, but Yemen is actually a much greater humanitarian disaster and more must be done.’