Updated: Yemen meeting in London, 27.01.10

Update: Guardian article expresses approval that the meeting 'didn't get too preoccupied with al-Qaida and recognised that the country faces "many urgent problems" (to put it mildly) which are inter-related and need to be tackled across a broad front.'

The Yemen meeting, held on the eve of a major conference on Afghanistan with many foreign policy heavyweights present, deserves its own post.

Before the meeting, the Foreign Secretary and Development Secretary set out their aims in a piece for the al-Hayat website - the focus is clearly on long-term stability, seeking to build the

'Government’s capacity, help it to take forward political and economic reform, and deliver services and jobs to its citizens. In our view, this is the best way to help the people of Yemen get the basic opportunities they deserve, which will, in turn, help address the drivers of instability and conflict.'

A statement by the Foreign Secretary on the outcomes of the meeting broadly confirmed this focus, and announced the beginning of a Friends of Yemen process.

These statements do not mention the humanitarian impacts of the current unrest, or point to any increased efforts to address them, as Care International called for on Tuesday.