Theresa May pledges £200m to help victims of Yemen’s civil war

Theresa May has pledged £200m to help victims of the war in Yemen as she called for an end to the “crisis and suffering” caused by civil war.

The prime minister announced the aid package as she arrived for EU talks in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt. “We are playing our part and will continue to do so but there is still more that we as an international community can do,” she said. “At the summit in Egypt, I will call on our partners in Europe and the region to continue to provide the aid that is so desperately needed.”

May was due to meet a Saudi delegation on Sunday and was expected to raise the killing of the journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

On Yemen, she said: “There must be a political settlement. That is the only way to end this crisis and the suffering it has caused. Real progress has been made to reach a political solution, but the window of opportunity is closing. We must use the momentum of the landmark Stockholm talks to turn the current agreements into a lasting peace.

“My message in Sharm El Sheikh is clear. Let us now redouble our efforts to build on the progress made and get the Stockholm agreements implemented in full. Pressure must be brought to bear on all those involved in the conflict. Forces from all sides need to start moving out of Hodeidah and follow through on plans for the exchange of prisoners.

“The ceasefire must be respected with parties exercising restraint. The Houthis must abide by their commitments. This is essential so progress can be made at the next round of peace talks and so humanitarian supply lines can be opened up.

“The UK has given its full backing to the United Nations-led peace process, and I want to continue to build international support for the tireless and vital work of the UN special envoy.”

EU and Arab League leaders are holding their first joint summit at the Egyptian resort city to discuss migration, security and business deals.

Surrounded by tight security, the leaders were likely to commit on Sunday to tackling the conflicts in Syria and Yemen and stalled Middle East peace efforts, while papering over major differences about how to resolve them and who might be responsible.

Drafting a summit statement that reflects the public display of unity has proved a trying affair. EU and Arab League foreign ministers failed to agree on a text earlier this month after Hungary objected to the section on migration. Europe’s migration challenge is at the heart of the two-day meeting, which is held under the Investing in Stability banner.

The prime minister also plans to use the two-day summit to speak to other leaders ahead of an international conference on growth and opportunities in Jordan to be held in London on Thursday.

Theresa May said: “I will also use this summit to reiterate to King Salman the importance of Saudi Arabia continuing to use their influence to encourage the Yemeni parties towards peace, as they did so pivotally in Stockholm. And I will underline the UK’s ongoing commitment to the security of Saudi Arabia and the region.

“The UK, along with our European partners, also continues to call on Iran to support efforts to de-escalate the conflict and ensure the current ceasefire holds. Jordan is a longstanding friend and partner for the UK and a beacon of stability in the Middle East, playing a vital role in hosting refugees who have fled conflict in the region.”