UK PM on cut to Yemen aid, arms sales to Saudi

The leader of the opposition in the United Kingdom, Sir Keir Starmer on Wednesday pressed Prime Minister Boris Johnson on plans to cut aid to war-torn Yemen by 50%, as well as Britain's arms sales to Saudi Arabia.

Johnson defended his government's actions on arms sales saying they followed "consolidated guidance".

Johnson also stood behind plans to slash aid to Yemen citing national priorities in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, adding the UK continued to be one of the highest contributors of international aid in the world.

Yemen’s war started in 2014 when the Houthis seized the capital, Sanaa, and much of the country’s north.

The Saudi-led, U.S.-backed coalition intervened months later to dislodge the rebels and restore the internationally recognized government.

The conflict has killed some 130,000 people and spawned the world’s worst humanitarian disaster.