division_name: Concentrix &#8212; Yemen
motion: <p class="indent" pid="a337.2/2" pwmotiontext="yes">That this House supports efforts to bring about a cessation of hostilities and provide humanitarian relief in Yemen, and notes that the country is now on the brink of famine; condemns the reported bombings of civilian areas that have exacerbated this crisis; believes that a full independent UN-led investigation must be established into alleged violations of international humanitarian law in the conflict in Yemen; and calls on the Government to suspend its support for the Saudi Arabia-led coalition forces in Yemen until it has been determined whether they have been responsible for any such violations.</p>
  
  <p class="indent" pid="a338.1/3" pwmotiontext="yes">&#8220;called on the international community to establish an international independent body to carry out comprehensive investigations in Yemen&#8221;,</p>
  
  <p class="indent" pid="a338.1/5" pwmotiontext="yes">&#8220;We did not have any say in the final text.&#8221;</p>
  
  <p class="indent" pid="a338.2/2" pwmotiontext="yes">&#8220;demand for an independent UN-led investigation goes contrary to the United Nations Human Rights Council decision in September which called for the UN to support instead the Yemeni National Commission&#8217;s investigation into civilian casualties in the conflict.&#8221;</p>
  
  <p class="indent" pid="a338.5/4" pwmotiontext="yes">&#8220;thousands of airstrikes on civilian targets in Yemen&#8221;.</p>
  
  <p class="indent" pid="a338.5/6" pwmotiontext="yes">&#8220;There are not thousands&#8230;&#8212;that is to mislead the House&#8221;.&#8212;[Official Report, <phrase class="date" code="2016-10-18">18 October</phrase> 2016; Vol. 615, c. 667.]</p>
  
  <p class="indent" pid="a338.5/8" pwmotiontext="yes">&#8220;In several of the&#8230;documented attacks, we have been unable to identify the presence of possible military objectives.&#8221;</p>
  
  <p class="indent" pid="a340.3/2" pwmotiontext="yes">&#8220;When its repeated air strikes that have now killed children, doctors, newlyweds, patients, at some point you just have to say: Either Saudi Arabia is not listening to the United States or they just don&#8217;t care,&#8221;</p>
  
  <p class="indent" pid="a340.3/5" pwmotiontext="yes">&#8220;Even as we assist the Saudis regarding their territorial integrity, it does not mean that we will refrain from expressing our concern about the war in Yemen and how it has been waged&#8221;.</p>
  
  <p class="indent" pid="a343.1/2" pwmotiontext="yes">&#8220;is whether those weapons might be used in a commission of a serious breach of international humanitarian law.&#8221;</p>
  
  <p class="indent" pid="a344.4/2" pwmotiontext="yes">&#8220;and calls on the Government to continue to support the UN Special Envoy in his ongoing efforts to achieve a political solution to bring sustainable peace to Yemen.&#8221;.</p>
  
  <p class="indent" pid="a345.3/3" pwmotiontext="yes">&#8220;all means and measures to protect Yemen and deter Houthi aggression&#8221;.</p>
  
  <p class="indent" pid="a348.0/2" pwmotiontext="yes">&#8220;This House supports efforts to bring about a cessation of hostilities and provide humanitarian relief in Yemen&#8221;,</p>
  
  <p class="indent" pid="a348.0/4" pwmotiontext="yes">&#8220;and calls on the Government to suspend its support for the Saudi Arabia-led coalition forces in Yemen until it has been determined whether they have been responsible&#8221;.</p>
  
  <p class="indent" pid="a352.7/4" pwmotiontext="yes">&#8220;I regularly review the situation with my own advisers and have discussed it on numerous occasions with my Saudi counterpart. Our judgement is that there is no evidence that&#8221;</p>
  
  <p class="indent" pid="a352.7/6" pwmotiontext="yes">&#8220;has been breached, but we shall continue to review the situation regularly.&#8221;</p>
  
  <p class="indent" pid="a352.7/8" pwmotiontext="yes">&#8220;This would simply not be possible in conflicts to which the UK is not a party, as is the case in Yemen.&#8221;&#8212;[Official Report, <phrase class="date" code="2016-07-21">21 July</phrase> 2016; Vol. 613, c. 42WS.]</p>
  
  <p class="indent" pid="a353.1/3" pwmotiontext="yes">&#8220;We do not believe that the UK Government can meet its obligations under the Convention on Cluster Munitions by relying on assurances from the Saudis.&#8221;</p>
  
  <p class="indent" pid="a353.3/2" pwmotiontext="yes">&#8220;We recommend that the Ministry of Defence carry out its own investigation into the evidence of a UK-supplied cluster bomb found in Yemen.&#8221;</p>
  
  <p class="indent" pid="a353.6/2" pwmotiontext="yes">&#8220;We do not believe that the UK Government can meet its obligations under the Convention on Cluster Munitions by relying on assurances from the Saudis.&#8221;</p>
  
  <p class="indent" pid="a354.1/2" pwmotiontext="yes">&#8220;In the case of Yemen, it is clear to us that the arms export licensing regime has not worked. We recommend that the UK suspend licences for arms exports to Saudi Arabia, capable of being used in Yemen, pending the results of an independent, United Nations-led inquiry&#8221;.</p>
  
  <p class="indent" pid="a354.11/2" pwmotiontext="yes">&#8220;one of the most significant violators&#8221;?</p>
  
  <p class="indent" pid="a355.1/3" pwmotiontext="yes">&#8220;United Nations-led investigation of alleged violations by all parties to the conflict is necessary to supplement the internal investigations of the Saudi-led coalition&#8221;,</p>
  
  <p class="indent" pid="a355.1/5" pwmotiontext="yes">&#8220;We agree with the Government that it is appropriate for the Saudi-led coalition to investigate these allegations in the first instance.&#8221;</p>
  
  <p class="indent" pid="a355.1/7" pwmotiontext="yes">&#8220;further progress is needed to ensure that JIAT is transparent, credible, and publishes its investigations in a timely manner. We recommend that the UK Government offer its support to the JIAT where appropriate so that it can meet these ends.&#8221;</p>
  
  <p class="indent" pid="a359.2/10" pwmotiontext="yes">&#8220;We hope the Houthi militia who control Sana&#8217;a may be persuaded to engage seriously in peace talks&#8221;&#8212;</p>
  
  <p class="indent" pid="a359.2/12" pwmotiontext="yes">&#8220;They hope instead to weaken the Coalition by undermining relationships with its Western Allies&#8221;.</p>
  
  <p class="indent" pid="a362.2/5" pwmotiontext="yes">&#8220;work with the Saudis to ensure that we stop the flow of funding and support to ISIL/Daesh.&#8221;&#8212;[Official Report, <phrase class="date" code="2016-11-30">30 November</phrase> 2015; Vol. 603, c. 122.]</p>
  
  <p class="indent" pid="a362.2/8" pwmotiontext="yes">&#8220;God is Great, Death to America, Death to Israel, Curse on the Jews, Victory to Islam&#8221;&#8212;</p>
  
  <p class="indent" pid="a366.0/2" pwmotiontext="yes">&#8220;on the brink of famine&#8221;.</p>
  
  <p class="indent" pid="a367.1/3" pwmotiontext="yes">&#8220;In other contexts, the Government will cite their reports. Human Rights Watch and Amnesty will be cited in Syria; they have been cited in Libya and Sudan in support of the Government position. Here, they are referred to as not good enough to be considered evidence compared with a reassurance from the Saudis, one of the belligerents to the conflict, that there are no violations of international humanitarian law.&#8221;</p>
  
  <p class="indent" pid="a376.1/5" pwmotiontext="yes">&#8220;did not take effective precautionary measures to minimize harm to civilians, including the first responders&#8221;</p>
  
  <p class="indent" pid="a376.1/7" pwmotiontext="yes">&#8220;The UK has supported, and continues to support, the work of the panel of experts commissioned by the UN, but we do not always agree with their conclusions.&#8221;</p>
  
  <p class="indent" pid="a381.0/4" pwmotiontext="yes">&#8220;The Houthis have managed to gather dozens of tanks and plenty of heavy weaponry from these defectors and deserters.&#8221;</p>
  
  <p class="indent" pid="a381.0/6" pwmotiontext="yes">&#8220;Yemen&#8217;s government and armed forces have long been weak and fragmented, and have had too many forces lined up against them to put up a strong resistance to the Houthis.&#8221;</p>
  
  <p class="indent" pid="a384.3/2" pwmotiontext="yes">&#8220;like the dream of some haunted painter.&#8221;</p>
  
  <p class="indent" pid="a384.3/4" pwmotiontext="yes">&#8220;begging eyes and clutching hands&#8221;.</p>
  
  <p class="indent" pid="a385.0/6" pwmotiontext="yes">&#8220;Hunger is increasing every day and people have exhausted all their survival strategies&#8221;.</p>
  
  <p class="indent" pid="a385.0/8" pwmotiontext="yes">&#8220;We need to provide a full ration to every family in need, but sadly we have had to&#8230;split assistance between impoverished families to meet growing needs&#8221;.</p>
  
  <p class="indent" pid="a385.0/10" pwmotiontext="yes">&#8220;An entire generation could be crippled by hunger&#8221;.</p>
  
  <p class="italic" pid="a389.0/5" pwmotiontext="yes">The House divided:</p>
  
  <p pid="a389.0/6" pwmotiontext="yes">Ayes 193, Noes 283.</p>