France and Yemen

Political relations

France was one of the first countries to speak out in favour of the departure of President Saleh and to support the CCASG plan signed on 23 November 2011 in coordination with the EU and the United States. It recognizes the legitimacy of President Hadi and his government.

France, the United States and the United Kingdom co-sponsored UN Security Council Resolution 2216 (of 14 April 2015) calling for resumption of dialogue, an inclusive solution, an arms embargo and individual sanctions on the Houthis, and respect for human rights.

France supports all of the efforts made by United Nations Special Envoy Martin Griffiths to make progress on finding a lasting solution to the crisis by organizing inter-Yemeni discussions.

Humanitarian assistance

In 2018, France has committed to giving Yemen €7.8 million in humanitarian aid via international organizations (ICRC, WFP, UNHCR) and NGOs (particularly CARE), compared to €6.5 million in 2017. The projects supported in the fields of health care and malnutrition help combat the risks of famine and the cholera epidemic. In January 2018, €1.5 million was also leveraged to fight against the risks of famine and malnutrition as part of planned food aid for the country.

The priorities for France’s activities in Yemen are: local socio-economic relief, support for vulnerable persons and human rights, and fostering independent media.

Reception of Yemeni students in France

As a result of cooperation between the Hadhramout Establishment for Human Development, a philanthropic foundation aiming to promote development in Yemen, and Campus France, an agency of the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs for the promotion of studies in France to foreign students, 58 Yemeni students began studying in France at the start of the 2017 academic year. A second group of 30 students arrived in September 2018.

^{Updated: 6 November 2018}