Keith Vaz MP: Over 100 Parliamentarians call for a new UK led UN Resolution on 'devastating' Yemen conflict

The United Nations General Assembly will sit for its 72^nd session this week. An open letter has been written to Antonio Guterres the General Secretary of the United Nations signed by over 100 parliamentarians, members of the Scottish parliament, union leaders and non-governmental organisations calling for a new UK introduced United Nations Security Council resolution on Yemen. The letter also calls on the United Nations to bring the Yemen conflict to the front and centre of its agenda in this sitting.

The signatures on the letter highlight there is an unmistakable determination in our country to stop the bombing in Yemen and bring the civil war to a peaceful conclusion. Yemen has been brought to its knees over the last two years, with over 10,000 dead, 40,000 maimed, 19.3 million people in need of urgent humanitarian assistance. It’s medical capacity and infrastructure has been destroyed allowing Cholera to spread like wildfire.

Because of the UK’s unique relationship with Yemen and our position of influence in the United Nations Security Council we must look to lead the international community and bring this awful conflict to an end.

The letter and the list of Parliamentarians who have signed is below:

‘‘Dear Secretary General Guterres,

We are writing today concerning the ongoing crisis in Yemen.

As I am sure you are aware, we face a generational catastrophe in Yemen and all current efforts are insufficient in providing help to the Yemeni people.

19 million Yemeni’s are in need of urgent humanitarian aid however, as a result of the conflict this has been difficult for aid agencies to provide.

According to UNICEF a child dies every 10 minutes in Yemen from preventive causes, 3 million people have been displaced and 6.8 million are one step away from famine.

Cholera cases will reach 500,000 by September and have already caused the deaths of over 2000 Yemeni citizens. It is the children who are hit especially hard by this with 40% of new cases occurring in children under the age of 15.

Public services in Yemen have ceased to be paid in 9 months. Not only has this worsened conditions for ordinary Yemeni’s but it has created an economy where one of the few well paid jobs is taking up arms on one of the sides. Humanitarian abuses have occurred on both sides with war crimes and attacks on civilians.

Despite the UN fundraising that raised $2.1billion the only way in which we can abate the suffering of the Yemeni people is to push for a ceasefire through the United Nations.

I have attached a list of Parliamentary Signatures from the UK supporting adding Yemen and its conflict to the agenda at the next UN General Assembly on the 13th September.

Only placing Yemen on the UN’s agenda at the General Assembly and the Security Council  and working collaboratively to end the conflict will save the people of Yemen.’’

 

Keith  Vaz MP (Leicester East) Chair APPG for Yemen

Alison Thewliss MP (Glasgow Central) Secretary APPG Yemen

Jim Shannon MP (Strangford) Vice Chair APPG Yemen

Graham Jones MP (Hyndburn) Vice Chair APPG

Diane Abbott MP (Hackney and North Stoke Newington)             

George Adam MSP (Paisley)

Rushanara Ali MP (Bethnal Green and Bow)

Rosena Allin-Khan MP (Tooting)

Jon  Ashworth MP (Leicester South)

Colin Beattie MSP (Midlothian North and Musselburgh)

Hillary Benn MP (Leeds Central)

Tracey Brabin MP (Batley and Spen)

Tom Brake MP (Carshalton and Wallington)

Alan Brown MP (Kilmarnock)

Karen Buck MP (Regents Park and Kensington)

Richard Burgon MP (Leeds East)

Lisa Cameron MP (East Kilbride, Srathaven and Lesmahagow)

Ronnie  Campbell MP (Blyth Valley)

Dan Carden MP (Liverpool Walton)

Douglas Chapman MP (Dunfermline and West Fife)

Joanna Cherry MP (Edinburgh South West)

Ann Clwyd MP (Cynon Valley)

Rosie Cooper MP  (West Lancashire)

Nick  Dakin MP (Scunthorpe)

Sir Edward  Davey MP (Kingston and Surbiton)

Bob Doris MSP (Glasgow Maryhill and Springburn)

Thangam Debbonaire MP (Bristol West)

Ash Denham MSP (Edinburgh Eastern)

Tan Dhesi MP (Slough)

Oliver Dowden MP (Hertsmere)

Caroline Flint MP (Don Valley)

James Frith MP (Bury North)

Gill Furniss MP (Sheffield, Brightside and Hillsborough)

Mike Gapes MP (Ilford South)

Ruth George MP  (High Peak)

Stephen Gethins MP (North East Fife)

Kenneth Gibson MSP (Cunninghame North)

Preet Gill MP (Birmingham Edgbaston)

Jenny Gilruth MSP (Mid Fife and Glenrothes)

Mary Glindon MP (North Tyneside)

Kate  Green MP (Stretford and Urmston)

Ross Greer MSP (West Scotland)

John Grogan MP (Keighley)

Andrew Gwynne MP (Denton and Reddish)

Harriet Harman MP (Camberwell and Peckham)

Clare  Haughey MSP (Rutherglen)

Lord Hylton

Richard Lyle MSP (Uddingston and Bellshill)

Alison Johnson MSP (Lothian)

Peter Kyle MP (Hove)

Ben Lake MP (Ceredigion)

David Lammy MP (Tottenham)

Jeremy Lefroy MP (Stafford)

Monica Lennon MSP (Central Scotland)

David Linden MP (Glasgow East)

Tony Lloyd MP (Rochdale)

Rebecca Long Bailey MP (Salford and Eccles)

Caroline Lucas MP (Brighton Pavillion)

Rona Mackay MSP (Strathkelvin and Bearsden)

Justin Madders MP (Ellesmere Port and Neston)

Sandy Martin MP (Ipswich)

Rachel Maskell MP (York Central)

John Mason MSP (Glasgow Shettleston)

Chris Matheson MP (City of Chester)

Stuart  McDonald MP (Cumbernauld, Kilsyth and Kirkintilloch East)

Andy  McDonald MP (Middlesbrough)

Fulton MacGregor MSP (Coatbridge and Chryston)

Stuart  McMillan MSP (Greenock and Inverclyde)

Angus McNeil MP (Na h-Eileanan an lar)

Ben Macphereson MSP (Edinburgh Northern and Leith)

Carol Monaghan MP (Glasgow North West)

Layla Moran MP (Oxford West and Abingdon)

Grahame Morris MP (Easington)

Ian Murray MP (Edinburgh South)

Madeline Noon MP (Bridgend)

Brendan  O'Hara  MP (Argyll and Bute)

Kate  Osamor MP (Edmonton)

Laura  Pidcock MP (North West Durham)

Lord Raj Loomba

Angela Rayner MP (Ashton under Lyne)

Ellie Reeves MP (Lewisham West and Penge)

Jonathan Reynolds MP (Stalybridge and Hyde)

Marie Rimmer MP (St Helens South and Whiston)

Gail Ross MSP (Caithness Sutherland and Ross)

Naz Shah MP (Bradford West)

Tulip Siddiq MP (Hampstead and Kilburn)

Andy Slaughter MP (Hammersmith)

Jeff Smith MP (Manchester Withington)

Angela Smith MP (Penistone and Stockbridge)

Elaine Smith MSP (Central Scotland)

Gareth Thomas MP (Harrow West)

David Torrance MSP (Kirkcaldy)

Anna Turley MP (Redcar)

Valarie Vaz MP (Walsall South)

Thelma Walker MP (Colne Valley)

Catherine West MP (Hornsey and Wood Green)

Admiral Lord West

Phillipa Whitford MP (Central Ayrshire)

Chris Williamson MP (Derby North)

Sammy Wilson MP (East Antrim)

Daniel Zeichner MP (Cambridge)

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