British FM: More Action Needed on Syria, Yemen
Local Editor
British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond is to press for more concerted action on the war-torn countries of Syria and Yemen during a tour of the Gulf States.
Hammond is due to arrive in Saudi Arabia before going to Kuwait, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and Oman.
He said Britain's "strong relations" with Gulf states will enable them to "work together on regional challenges".
The Syrian war began in 2011 and the conflict in Yemen began in September 2014.
The foreign secretary will also meet the UN Special Envoy to Yemen, Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed, in Kuwait to underline UK support for the peace process in the country.
Speaking ahead of the visit, Hammond said: "Wherever we look, the world is becoming more dangerous and more uncertain.
"International engagement is fundamental to maintaining both Britain's security and our prosperity.
"Britain's strong relations with the Gulf states enable us to work together on regional challenges and shared threats that confront us, whether from violent extremism, terrorism, or volatile economic conditions."
He said the Yemen crisis will be high on his agenda, saying that allowing the state to collapse "is simply not an option".
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights estimates at least 3,200 civilians have been martyred and 5,700 wounded, with 60% of the casualties inflicted by air strikes, in the year since the air strikes began.
Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team
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