Government accused on Saudi arms as minister warns Yemen ‘on brink’
Yemen is “on the brink of a catastrophic disaster”, Priti Patel has warned, amid claims that the UK’S aid effort is being undermined by arms sales to Saudi Arabia.
The International Development Secretary urged other countries to join the UK in helping to deal with the cholera outbreak in the wartorn country which has affected hundreds of thousands of people.
Labour welcomed the gov- ernment’s efforts to push the international community to respond to the humanitarian crisis but said aid can only have a limited impact while the Government puts “profits of arms exporters before lives” in Yemen.
Three United Nations agencies, including the World Health Organisation, said last month that Yemen was experiencing the “world’s worst cholera outbreak”.
The UK has continued to allow sales to the Saudis, with more than £3.3 billion of arms licensed since March 2015.
Ms Patel said: “Yemen is on the brink of a catastrophic disaster if the world continues to close its eyes.”