LONDON: Stephen Doughty, British minister of state for the Middle East, reaffirmed the UK’s commitment to providing humanitarian assistance to Yemen following talks with Presidential Leadership Council Chairman Rashad Al-Alimi on the worsening crisis caused by Houthi attacks.

“An honor to meet President Rashad Al-Alimi of Yemen earlier this week,” Doughty wrote on X on Thursday.

“We discussed the intolerable suffering caused by Houthi escalation in Taiz and across Yemen. The UK stands with the Yemeni people & continues to provide vital humanitarian support.”

The two officials met in Riyadh on Sunday to discuss the escalating conflict, threats to regional security and preparations for an international conference later this month to mobilize economic and humanitarian support for Yemen.

Doughty pledged on Monday that Britain would continue supporting Saudi Arabia against Houthi attacks. He told Al Arabiya English that the UK stood by its allies “through action, not just words.”

He pointed to the UK’s diplomatic efforts involving Iran and its regional proxies to ease tensions and prevent further escalation.

Britain has stepped up defensive military assistance to Saudi Arabia, including plans to deploy RAF Typhoon fighter jets to protect cities and critical infrastructure against Houthi missile and drone attacks. The aircraft will not carry out offensive strikes, according to the UK Ministry of Defense.

The renewed fighting has deepened Yemen’s humanitarian crisis, particularly in Taiz, where the UN warned last month that more than 800,000 people had been cut off from food assistance as fighting blocked vital supply routes.

In September, Britain announced an additional £10 million ($13.4 million) in humanitarian funding to provide food, healthcare and nutrition assistance to civilians displaced by the conflict.