To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, pursuant to the Answer of 8 February 2017 to Question 62668, what assessment her Department has made of port capacity in Yemen; and what options her Department has taken forward to improve port infrastructure for aid delivery.
Answered on
3 March 2017
The conflict has destroyed or damaged critical infrastructure (for example, the largest cranes in the port of Hodeidah) and the current phase of military activity along the Red Sea is already further limiting the flow of life-saving commodities through Hodeidah port. Over 80% of food assistance in the last 6 months of 2016 entered the country through Hodeidah and neighbouring Salif ports. If Hodeidah port ceases to function, this would accelerate the onset of famine.
We continue to discuss options to improve port infrastructure in Hodeidah with Gulf countries, the US and the UN. However, recent events have made the successful delivery of mobile cranes for Hodeidah unlikely in the short-term.