almotamar-net - Three British Members of Parliament visited Yemen last week to see health projects run by the UK-based international development charity, Oxfam. The three MPs, a cross-party team, were Anne Snelgove, from the Labour Party, Andrew George from the Liberal Democrats and Mark Simmonds of the Conservatives.

The team, speaking at a press conference in Sana’a on Wednesday, said that they had seen some of “excellent work” done by Oxfam in Yemen, and that they appreciated the work that was being done to help in civil society.
They added that Oxfam and other NGOs have to strike a balance between helping and imposing on the country. They said that their support should help the country to develop and improve on its own.

The team, which also visited projects in Aden last Monday, added that Oxfam had achieved its success because its work reflected the needs of the communities it helps. There has to be cooperation between the donors and the Yemeni government in order not to duplicate the same work in the same areas, they said.
The MPs said that they were also impressed by the representatives from the Yemeni National Women’s Committee and the Yemeni’s Women Union.They said they were surprised at how successful the women were in their work - despite the many traditional and cultural restrictions upon them. Britain would like to see more women represented in politics, especially in major positions, they added.

The initiative taken by the ruling General Peoples Congress party to give women a quota of 15% in Parliament was a good sign from the government, they said.