UK Middle East Minister condemns Houthis blocking aid in northern Yemen

James Cleverly met representative from Iran-backed rebels in Oman

James Cleverly, UK Minister of State for the Middle East and North Africa. Reuters

The British Minister for the Middle East has condemned Yemen's Houthi militia for blocking aid from communities in northern areas controlled by the Iran-aligned rebels.

James Cleverly, in Oman for a two-day visit, met Houthi representative Mohammed Abdul Salam, the British Foreign and Development Office said on Tuesday.

Mr Cleverly urged the Houthis to work constructively with the UN special envoy to Yemen, Martin Griffiths, and agree to his peace plan to end the conflict.

He raised concerns about restrictions in northern Houthi-controlled areas, which are preventing humanitarian aid from reaching millions.

Mr Cleverly called for safe, rapid and unhindered access for aid workers and supplies, particularly with the risk of famine this year.

He also said the UK and Gulf states were working together to tackle the coronavirus and save lives.

At a meeting with Qais Al Yousef, the Omani Minister of Trade, Mr Cleverly set out the UK’s ambition to increase its trade and investment with the Gulf, Britain’s third largest trading partner outside the EU.

Mr Cleverly was in Qatar on Tuesday after leaving Oman.

On his visit to the Gulf last month, British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab warned that Yemen was on the "brink of famine".

Mr Raab announced another £5.8 million ($10.6m) of new UK aid to help avert a famine in Yemen, taking the UK’s total contribution since the conflict began to more than £1 billion.

Yemen has been mired in violence since 2014 when the Houthi rebels, backed by Iran, drove the internationally recognised government of President Abdrabu Mansur Hadi from Sanaa.