Keith Vaz MP: Last week's horrific attack must refocus us on ending Yemen's forgotten war
5 min read
Last week in Saada province in Yemen a bombing raid by the Saudi-Emirati led coalition – British allies – killed at least 29 children while they were sat on their school bus. We must call on the Prime Minister to vocally condemn this attack and to use all of our leverage to influence all sides to immediately engage in the Geneva peace process in September, says Labour MP Keith Vaz.
The photograph of two year old refugee Alan Kurdi lying face down on a beach in Greece is already one of the enduring images of the 21st century. His lifeless body woke the world to the urgency of the Syrian refugee crisis and marked a turning point in several countries’ policies towards refugees.
Nearly three years on to the day of those pictures emerging, will this week’s horrific images of dozens of dead and injured children spur a shift in our approach to the conflict in Yemen? If there is any substance to the Government’s rhetoric of a ‘Global Britain’ that champions its values in foreign policy, it must.
Last week in Saada province in Yemen a bombing raid by the Saudi-Emirati led coalition – British allies – killed at least 29 children while they were sat on their school bus. The images are haunting: children – most aged under 10 – screaming in agony; dozens of tiny, bloodied UNICEF backpacks strewn in the aftermath. In a conflict that has led to unconscionable destruction and death across Yemen, this incident is particularly deplorable.
For the United Kingdom and the rest of the world, a business as usual approach to the war in Yemen is no longer acceptable. It is unthinkable that this can be the case when the equipment used may have been made in Britain or that a member of our armed forces may have been in the same building when the target was selected. The only response by the Government to date to this atrocity has been a solitary tweet from Foreign Minister Alistair Burt, in which he “expressed concern”. This silence shames us. The contrast to strong expressions of condemnation, and calls for independent UN investigations into Houthi attempted missile attacks towards Riyadh is stark. Expressions of concern over four years have done nothing to stop Yemeni people being butchered in this man-made catastrophe.
This horrific attack must refocus the minds of all countries to push for a ceasefire and political settlement to Yemen’s oft-forgotten war. The United Nations has provided a route forward for all sides in the war with peace talks being organised in Geneva on the 6th of September. Special Envoy Martin Griffith’s heroic efforts have provided possibly the best opportunity for peace that Yemen has seen in years. This horrific attack is not only a possible war crime: it risks derailing the nascent peace process before it has even started. The UK, the United States and EU countries cannot afford to let that happen. We must use all of our leverage to demand an end to these irresponsible attacks, and instead, insist that parties engage in the peace process in good faith.
As for the UK, it is time for us to fundamentally review the approach we have taken to Yemen so far. It is a fallacy to suggest that we are stuck in a position where we have to either abandon the Saudis or give them a blank check to conduct the war on their terms with no repercussions.
In May of this year, the All Party Parliamentary Group in its report recommended that until the findings of a UN group of experts investigating violations in Yemen have been presented in September, the UK should immediately suspend arms sales to all parties that have been accused of breaching international law. The case for such action has grown significantly stronger over recent days. It is increasingly impossible to claim that there is no risk that our weapons are being used in crimes against innocent Yemeni civilians. Saudi Arabia claimed in a letter to the UN that bombing a bus full of children was a ‘legitimate military action’. This must raise questions about not only their judgement but also their ability to conduct a thorough and transparent investigation. We must follow the UN Secretary General in demanding an immediate, independent investigation.
In terms of achieving a lasting peace, we must continue to accept and understand the concerns of the Saudis on their southern border. The Houthis with Iranian assistance have been guilty of some horrific war crimes in Yemen. In recognising the threat to Saudi security we must continue and step up our support for UNVIM inspections on vessels coming in to Yemen. This is to gain Saudi confidence that northern Yemen will not become an Iranian launch pad. However, we must impress upon all sides that they do not have a blank check in Yemen to ignore international humanitarian law. We await with interest the findings of the United Nations Group of Experts which is due later this year. Furthermore, this egregious attack underlines the importance of ensuring that this group’s mandate at the Human Rights Council in September is extended – to ensure ongoing independent investigations into violations in Yemen are completed.
We must break the quagmire in which our policy towards Yemen has become trapped. We cannot hide behind the aid figures or pretend that the statement at the United Nations that we published in March is sufficient. We must call on the Prime Minister to vocally condemn last week’s attack and call on all sides to respect international law, demand an immediate independent investigation, and to use all of our leverage to influence all sides to immediately engage in the Geneva peace process in September. None of this will bring the 29 children back to their mothers and fathers. This catastrophic war has destroyed millions of lives and those that survive will deal with the consequences for generations to come. But we cannot sit around and wait for the next atrocity. We must end this war now.
Rt Hon Keith Vaz MP, Chair of the APPG Group for Yemen
PoliticsHome Newsletters
Get the inside track on what MPs and Peers are talking about. Sign up to The House's morning email for the latest insight and reaction from Parliamentarians, policy-makers and organisations.
