Agenda item

4.1

RESOLVED: On the motion of Councillor Julie Dore and seconded by Councillor Peter Rippon, that, in accordance with Council Procedure Rule 9.1, the order of business as published on the Council Summons be altered by taking item 7 on the agenda (Notice of Motion regarding “Humanitarian Crisis in Yemen”) as the next item of business.

4.2

It was moved by Councillor Abdul Khayum, and seconded by Councillor Abtisam Mohamed, that this Council:-

(a)       recognises the contribution that the Yemeni community has made to the city through their work, including in the steel industry;

(b)       notes that the current situation in Yemen is widely regarded as the worst humanitarian crisis in the world, and that the country is on the brink of the world’s worst famine for a hundred years;

(c)        believes the horrors in Yemen cannot be underestimated:-

(i)         85,000 children have died as a result of starvation;

(ii)        13 to 14 million people are at risk of starvation, including five million children;

(iii)       22 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance;

(iv)       the conflict has given rise to the worst outbreak of cholera in modern times, with the World Health Organisation citing 10,000 suspected cases every week; and

(v)        since Yemen’s cholera epidemic erupted in April 2017, a total of 1.2 million suspected cases have been reported, with 2,515 deaths, and with children accounting for 30 per cent of infections;

(d)       believes that the crisis shames us all, and condemns the Saudi-led coalition for using starvation as a weapon of war, a clear breach of international law;

(e)       believes the UK government should be doing much more to resolve the crisis, and supports the United Nations’ (UN) call for the cessation of hostilities, and urges all parties engaged in this conflict to immediately stop the fighting and come together around the negotiating table to end the humanitarian crisis;

(f)        asks all UK political parties to reconvene a parliamentary debate on the Yemen crisis and to endorse the UN sponsored ceasefire unreservedly, and use its influence to open direct UK level talks for the purposes of achieving peace in Yemen;

(g)       welcomes the efforts of the Special Envoy to Yemen, Martin Griffiths, and urges the Envoy and the UN to maximise their efforts to find a quick and immediate solution to prevent one of the biggest humanitarian catastrophes ever;

(h)       recognises that many Yemeni’s in Sheffield will have family and friends that are affected by the humanitarian crisis, and supports efforts to raise funds for the crisis in Yemen, including the provision of food supplies, clothing, childcare products and medicines, through the support of the wider community;

(i)         supports the development of the Sheffield for Humanitarian Aid and Peace project in raising funds and sending aid to areas affected by the humanitarian crisis; and

(j)         requests that a copy of this motion is sent to all Sheffield Members of Parliament.

4.3

Whereupon, it was moved by Councillor Shaffaq Mohammed, and seconded by Councillor Richard Shaw, as an amendment, that the Motion now submitted be amended by the addition of new paragraphs (k) to (m) as follows:-

(k)        calls for the suspension of UK arms sales to Saudi Arabia in response to their consistent targeting of civilians in Yemen which is in breach of international humanitarian law;

(l)         requests that a copy of this motion is sent to the Saudi and the Yemeni Embassies in London; and

(m)      requests that a copy of this motion is sent to the Prime Minister and the Foreign Secretary.

4.4

It was then moved by Councillor Kaltum Rivers, and seconded by Councillor Douglas Johnson, as an amendment, that the Motion now submitted be amended by the addition of new paragraphs (k) to (m) as follows:-

(k)        notes that research shows the UK was responsible for selling Saudi Arabia $436 million worth of armaments in 2017, which are likely to have been used in a war which Save the Children estimates has resulted in the death of 85,000 children under the age of 5;

(l)         believes that the Government should not grant an export licence if there is a clear risk that the items might be used in the commission of a serious violation of international humanitarian law; and

(m)      therefore resolves that this Council will write to the Secretary of State for International Trade requesting an immediate suspension of arms sales to Saudi Arabia.

4.5

After contributions from four other Members, and following a right of reply from Councillor Abdul Khayum, the amendment moved by Councillor Shaffaq Mohammed was put to the vote and was carried.

4.6

The amendment moved by Councillor Kaltum Rivers was then put to the vote and was also carried.

4.7

The original Motion, as amended, was then put as a Substantive Motion in the following form and carried:-

RESOLVED: That this Council:-

(a)       recognises the contribution that the Yemeni community has made to the city through their work, including in the steel industry;

(b)       notes that the current situation in Yemen is widely regarded as the worst humanitarian crisis in the world, and that the country is on the brink of the world’s worst famine for a hundred years;

(c)        believes the horrors in Yemen cannot be underestimated:-

(i)         85,000 children have died as a result of starvation;

(ii)        13 to 14 million people are at risk of starvation, including five million children;

(iii)       22 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance;

(iv)       the conflict has given rise to the worst outbreak of cholera in modern times, with the World Health Organisation citing 10,000 suspected cases every week; and

(v)        since Yemen’s cholera epidemic erupted in April 2017, a total of 1.2 million suspected cases have been reported, with 2,515 deaths, and with children accounting for 30 per cent of infections;

(d)       believes that the crisis shames us all, and condemns the Saudi-led coalition for using starvation as a weapon of war, a clear breach of international law;

(e)       believes the UK government should be doing much more to resolve the crisis, and supports the United Nations’ (UN) call for the cessation of hostilities, and urges all parties engaged in this conflict to immediately stop the fighting and come together around the negotiating table to end the humanitarian crisis;

(f)        asks all UK political parties to reconvene a parliamentary debate on the Yemen crisis and to endorse the UN sponsored ceasefire unreservedly, and use its influence to open direct UK level talks for the purposes of achieving peace in Yemen;

(g)       welcomes the efforts of the Special Envoy to Yemen, Martin Griffiths, and urges the Envoy and the UN to maximise their efforts to find a quick and immediate solution to prevent one of the biggest humanitarian catastrophes ever;

(h)       recognises that many Yemeni’s in Sheffield will have family and friends that are affected by the humanitarian crisis, and supports efforts to raise funds for the crisis in Yemen, including the provision of food supplies, clothing, childcare products and medicines, through the support of the wider community;

(i)         supports the development of the Sheffield for Humanitarian Aid and Peace project in raising funds and sending aid to areas affected by the humanitarian crisis;

(j)         requests that a copy of this motion is sent to all Sheffield Members of Parliament;

(k)        notes that research shows the UK was responsible for selling Saudi Arabia $436 million worth of armaments in 2017, which are likely to have been used in a war which Save the Children estimates has resulted in the death of 85,000 children under the age of 5;

(l)         believes that the Government should not grant an export licence if there is a clear risk that the items might be used in the commission of a serious violation of international humanitarian law;

(m)      calls for the suspension of UK arms sales to Saudi Arabia in response to their consistent targeting of civilians in Yemen which is in breach of international humanitarian law;

(n)       therefore resolves that this Council will write to the Secretary of State for International Trade requesting an immediate suspension of arms sales to Saudi Arabia;

(o)       requests that a copy of this motion is sent to the Saudi and the Yemeni Embassies in London; and

(p)       requests that a copy of this motion is sent to the Prime Minister and the Foreign Secretary.