Labour Friends of Yemen Condemns Deadly Attack on Civilians in Rada’a, Al-Bayda

مجموعة أصدقاء اليمن في حزب العمال تدين انتهاكات الحوثيين ضد المدنيين في البيضاء

22 August 2024: Labour Friends of Yemen (LFY) strongly condemns the terrible attack on civilians in the city of Rada’a, Al-Bayda province last Tuesday 19 March 2024. The reported campaign by Houthi forces targeting and blowing up the homes of the "Aal-Naqous and Al-Zaylai" families in the Al-Hufarah neighbourhood is an abhorrent act of violence that has resulted in the tragic loss of innocent lives.
The deliberate targeting of civilian residences, which has led to the destruction of homes and the loss of lives, including women and children, is a stark violation of international humanitarian law and fundamental human rights principles. Such actions inflict immense suffering on the civilian population and exacerbate the already dire humanitarian situation in Yemen.
LFY calls for perpetrators of such atrocities to be held accountable for their actions, and that steps must be taken to ensure justice for the victims and their families.
LFY stands in solidarity with the people of Yemen during this difficult time and calls for an immediate cessation of the use of violence against the Yemeni people to prevent further loss of life and alleviate the suffering of innocent civilians. We reiterate our commitment to supporting efforts towards a peaceful and inclusive resolution to the conflict in Yemen, one that respects the dignity and rights of all Yemeni citizens, and help them to rebuild a modern state based on principles of democracy, human rights and equal citizenship.

Labour Friends of Yemen expresses its concern about the recent US-UK military strikes on Yemen
أصدقاء اليمن في حزب العمال يحذرون من مخاطر التدخل العسكري المباشر في اليمن

London, 15 January 2024: Labour Friends of Yemen is gravely concerned about the recent US-UK military strikes on targets within Yemen, prompting us to unequivocally condemn this direct military intervention by the UK government. Our concerns stem from the following critical considerations:
1. Lack of Parliamentary Approval: The decision for military intervention was made without seeking due approval from Parliament and lacks a clear legal basis, raising serious questions about the legitimacy of such actions.
2. Detrimental Impact on Peace Efforts: The timing and manner of this military intervention pose severe threats to ongoing peace efforts in Yemen, a nation that has endured years of conflict, resulting in the world’s worst humanitarian crisis, as recognized by the United Nations.
3. Escalation of Regional instability: While we recognise the importance of securing freedom of navigation in the Red Sea, this intervention is poised to heighten risks and instability in the region. There is a real concern that it may amplify acts of violence, leading to the destabilization of maritime security. The potential connection to what is perceived as controversial support of the US and UK governments for Israel during its war on Gaza raises alarms, especially given the unprecedented loss of civilian lives witnessed during this war and the fact that Israel is currently facing legal charges of potential genocide in front of the International Court of Justice.

We urgently call upon the UK government to reconsider its stance, emphasising the need for diplomatic solutions and collaborative efforts with the international community. Our collective aim should be to alleviate the suffering of the Yemeni people and actively contribute to establishing lasting peace in Yemen as well as in the region.

Labour Friends of Yemen Parliamentary Reception

مجموعة أصدقاء اليمن في حزب العمال تدعوا إلى مؤتمر وطني في بريطانيا من أجل اليمن

16 November 2022: LFY has organised a Parliamentary Reception on Yemen, in which several Labour MPs attended as well as representatives from the Yemen Embassy in London, the British Yemeni Society, the National Reconciliation Movement, Southern Transition Council, Adalah Yemen and the Yemeni community in the UK. 

During the meeting, constructive discussions took place and several outcomes were reached to keep the Yemeni issue alive at the heart of the Parliamentary agenda. Gill Furniss MP, Chair of LFY, stressed the importance of the UK government’s intervention to stop the war in Yemen and alleviate the dire humanitarian situation. 

A National Conference on Yemen was agreed to be organised next year as well as sending delegates from the Labour Party to visit Yemen. An ongoing dialogue among all Yemeni factions under the LFY umbrella, and a fresh engagement by the Yemen APPG, will be encouraged. 

Among the Members of Parliament who participated in the reception were: Kim Johnson MP, Kate Osamor MP, Bambos Charalambous MP, Paul Blomfield MP, Valerie Vaz MP, Kim Leadbeater MP and Tan Dhesi MP.

نظمت مجموعة أصدقاء اليمن في حزب العمال البريطاني حفل استقبال برلماني حول اليمن، حضره العديد من النواب العماليين بالإضافة إلى ممثلين عن السفارة اليمنية في لندن، الجمعية البريطانية اليمنية، تيار التوافق الوطني، المجلس الانتقالي الجنوبي، إلى جانب عدد من القيادات والناشطين من الجاليات اليمنية في المملكة المتحدة

وجرت خلال حفل الاستقبال نقاشات بناءة حول خطورة انخفاض الاهتمام بالمشكلة اليمنية في الأوساط السياسة والإعلامية البريطانية، وتم التوصل إلى عدد من الأفكار التي من شأنها إبقاء القضية اليمنية حية وفي صميم أجندة حزب العمال. وقد شددت رئيسة المجموعة النائبة جيل فيرنس على أهمية أن تقوم حكومة المملكة المتحدة بكل ما في وسعها لإيقاف الحرب في اليمن والتخفيف من المعاناة الإنسانية الكبيرة

وأتفق الحاضرون على أهمية السعي إلى تنظيم مؤتمر وطني حول اليمن العام القادم، وإرسال مندوبين من حزب العمل لزيارة اليمن للاطلاع على الوضع الإنساني والسعي للحديث مع مختلف الأطراف وتشجيعهم على الحوار والتفاوض من أجل السلام، كما تم الاتفاق على استمرار الحوار بين جميع الفصائل اليمنية تحت مظلة مجموعة أصدقاء اليمن في حزب العمال، وإعادة تنشيط المجموعة البرلمانية المشتركة عن اليمن داخل البرلمان

من بين النواب الذين شاركوا في حفل الاستقبال: النائبة كيم جونسون، النائبة كيت أوسامور، النائب بامبوس شارالمبوس، النائب بول بلومفيلد، النائبة فاليري فاز، النائبة كيم ليدبيتر ، والنائب تان ديسي


Our Launch Event at the House of Commons, Wednesday 13th of February 2019

In the presence of a large and unprecedented gathering held yesterday in the House of Commons, Graham Jones MP and Steven Twigg MP co-hosted the Launch Event for Labour Friends of Yemen.

The Event was exceptionally well attended, with Keith Vaz MP, a number of members from the Labour shadow government, Labour Party MPs, members of local councils, His Excellency the Yemeni Ambassador to the UK, community leaders and activists from across the United Kingdom. A remarkable and promising beginning for our team!

Labour Friends of Yemen is a forum within the Labour Party for constructive discussions and responsible debates on matters related to Yemen, with the aims to promote and advocate a clear vision for supporting the country to reach peace and help its people to rebuild a modern state based on principles of democracy, human rights and equal citizenship. 

Photo Credit: Rod Waddington / Flickr