MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on the humanitarian and political situation in Yemen

B9‑0118/2021

European Parliament resolution on the humanitarian and political situation in Yemen

(2021/2539(RSP))

The European Parliament,

– having regard to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights of 1966, and in particular Article 1 thereof,

– having regard to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court of 1998,

– having regard to the UN Security Council’s resolutions on Yemen,

– having regard to the statement of 9 February 2021 by the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy on the humanitarian and political situation in Yemen,

– having regard to the Riyadh Agreement of 5 November 2019,

– having regard to its previous resolutions on Yemen,

– having regard to Rule 132(2) of its Rules of Procedure,

A. whereas the crisis in Yemen is one of the most serious humanitarian crises in the world; whereas Yemenis have experienced indescribable hardship and suffering as a result of the ongoing conflict; whereas according to the UN Security Council’s statement of 13 December 2020, at least 13.5 million people are at risk of starvation in Yemen;

B. whereas the international community’s dogmatic approach, as expressed in the various UN Security Council resolutions and statements, denies Yemenis the right to true self-determination;

C. whereas the President of Yemen continues to be based in Saudi Arabia, along with his government, and must seek permission to return to his homeland;

D. whereas the Riyadh Agreement was announced with much fanfare but has failed to deliver a workable political process;

E. whereas the UN Security Council statement of 13 December 2020 called for a Yemeni solution to Yemeni problems, although in reality both the political and the military process is dictated by other countries;

F. whereas in a statement, Aidarous al-Zubaidi, the head of the Southern Transitional Council, said that in his view the Riyadh Agreement marked a transitional period before power was reallocated to the South;

1. Expresses grave concern about the ongoing humanitarian situation in Yemen; condemns in the strongest terms the ongoing violence in Yemen, and in particular the attacks against civilians;

2. Deplores the policy of ignoring Yemeni political and civic groups and the outsourcing of political and security solutions to other states in the region;

3. Recognises that commitment to the territorial integrity of Yemen is at the heart of the dire humanitarian situation in Yemen, and calls for the UN Security Council to examine all options for a political settlement, including a two-state solution;

4. Expresses grave concern that the UN Security Council is allowing third parties to implement their own policy in Yemen, thereby enabling states to use the internal conflict to prosecute a proxy war with dire consequences for Yemeni civilians;

5. Expresses concern that the commitments made under the Riyadh Agreement, especially the military protocols, are routinely ignored and that a political solution remains elusive, thereby condemning millions of civilians, including children, to starvation and disease;

6. Emphasises that there cannot be any humanitarian solution to the crisis while Yemen has no functioning government, and calls on the UN Security Council to ensure that a transparent political process involving all relevant Yemeni actors be instituted, without interference by third parties and their proxies;

7. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, the European External Action Service, the governments and parliaments of the Member States, and the Government of the Republic of Yemen.