Jeremy Hunt is on his way to the Middle East to hold talks on trying to end the four year-long war in Yemen.

The foreign secretary is due to arrive in Oman on Friday and will then travel on to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

He has meetings lined up with key figures on both sides of the seemingly intractable conflict.

Mr Hunt will speak to senior members of the Yemeni government, which is backed by Saudi Arabia, and the Houthi rebel group which has been trying to overthrow them since 2015.

He said he would urge all parties to resume diplomacy and take steps to ease the humanitarian crisis in the war-torn nation.

Children suffering from acute malnutrition in Yemen Show all 17 1 /17 Children suffering from acute malnutrition in Yemen Children suffering from acute malnutrition in Yemen Doctors take some blood of Yemeni Yousef Abdullah Bakhit Ali, 13, suffering from severe acute malnutrition. With ongoing and unending conflict in Yemen, humanitarian situation continues to deteriorate across the country Unicef/Huwais Children suffering from acute malnutrition in Yemen A doctor weighs Yemeni baby Yahya Hamoud Ali Al Huzef, 9 months suffering from malnutrition Unicef/Huwais Children suffering from acute malnutrition in Yemen Ali Mohammed Ahmed Jamal,12 years old and suffering from severe acute malnutrition. He arrives with his family at a Unicef supported treatment centre in a hospital in Sanaa Unicef/Huwais Children suffering from acute malnutrition in Yemen A doctor measures the arm of Yemeni Ali Mohammed Ahmed Jamal, 12, who is suffering from malnutrition at a treatment centre in a hospital in Sanaa Unicef/Huwais Children suffering from acute malnutrition in Yemen There are over 400,000 severely malnourished children in need urgent lifesaving assistance in Yemen Unicef/Abdulhaleem Children suffering from acute malnutrition in Yemen Ali Mohammed Ahmed Jamal is weighed Unicef/Huwais Children suffering from acute malnutrition in Yemen A doctor measures the arm of baby Yahya Hamoud Ali Al Huzef Unicef/Huwais Children suffering from acute malnutrition in Yemen Unicef are currently working to reach 275,000 malnourished children with critical life-saving supplies and care for over 5 million people with safe and clean water to stop the spread of life-threatening diseases Unicef/Huwais Children suffering from acute malnutrition in Yemen Yahya Hamoud Ali Al Huzef with his family in his house in the outskirts of the capital Sanaa Unicef/Huwais Children suffering from acute malnutrition in Yemen The country is on the brink of famine and children's chances of survival are becoming slimmer by the day Unicef/Abdulhaleem Children suffering from acute malnutrition in Yemen Ali Mohammed Ahmed Jamal has his arm measured Unicef/Huwais Children suffering from acute malnutrition in Yemen Unicef are currently working to provide nearly 1 million children with vaccines and healthcare Unicef/Huwais Children suffering from acute malnutrition in Yemen Doctors take some blood of Yemeni Yousef Abdullah Bakhit Ali, 13 years old suffering from severe acute malnutrition at a treatment centre in a hospital in the capital Sanaa on November 2, 2018. (Release obtained) With ongoing and unending conflict in Yemen, humanitarian situation continues to deteriorate across the country. There are over 400,000 severely malnourished children in need urgent lifesaving assistance in Yemen. The country is on the brink of famine and childrenâ€™s chances of survival are becoming slimmer by the day. UNICEF are working with partners around-the clock to save children suffering from malnutrition and disease. We are currently working to reach: â€¢ 275,000 malnourished children with critical life-saving supplies and care â€¢ Over 5 million people with safe and clean water to stop the spread of life-threatening diseases â€¢ Nearly 1 million children with vaccines and healthcare â€¢ 9 million people with emergency cash assistance to help families buy basic commodities so they can survive Â© UNICEF/UN0253367/ Huwais Unicef/Huwais Children suffering from acute malnutrition in Yemen Unicef are working with partners around-the clock to save children suffering from malnutrition and disease Unicef/Abdulhaleem Children suffering from acute malnutrition in Yemen Unicef are currently working to provide 9 million people with emergency cash assistance to help families buy basic commodities so they can survive Unicef/Huwais Children suffering from acute malnutrition in Yemen Ali Mohammed Ahmed Jamal is suffering from malnutrition Unicef Children suffering from acute malnutrition in Yemen On 31 October 2018 in Yemen, the Al Thawra Hospital in Hodeidah where children are being treated for severe acute malnutrition. UNICEF Regional Director for Middle East and North Africa Geert Cappelaere visited Yemen from 29 October through 1 November 2018. As of 30 October 2018, over 11 million children â€“ 80 per cent of all children in the country â€“ require humanitarian assistance, due to the impact of the ongoing conflict. Worsening years of underdevelopment, attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure and lack of salary payments for most civil servants have pushed basic services for children to the brink. Children face food shortages, disease, displacement and an acute lack of access to basic social services. One out of three children in Yemen is at risk of acute malnutrition. Â© UNICEF/UN0253574/Abdulhaleem Unicef/Abdulhaleem

A key aim will be ensuring aid can be brought in, including through the crucial Red Sea port Hodeidah.

“My aim is to build on the UN-backed agreement reached in Stockholm in December,” Mr Hunt said.

“The peace process has allowed a sustained reduction in fighting in Hodeidah. But more needs to be done.

“In my discussions with the Houthis and the government of Yemen I will urge all sides to accelerate the redeployments they agreed at Stockholm and ensure the flow of humanitarian relief.”

Mr Hunt is under pressure domestically to raise the murder of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul last October during his visit to Riyadh - and to reveal the result of the UK government's investigation into it.

The also trip comes after Mr Hunt failed to persuade Germany to re-start arms sales to Saudi Arabia after Berlin halted the trade over human rights fears.

At least 10 million Yemenis are on the brink of starvation but 50,000 tonnes of grain from the World Food Programme – enough to feed 3.7 million people for a month – has been stuck in inaccessible mills since September because of fighting.

“Moving these forces away from the ports is necessary to prevent a return to fighting, prepare the road for the next round of peace talks and ensure desperately needed humanitarian aid is able to reach those who need it most,” Mr Hunt added.

The senior Conservative will also use meetings with counterparts from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates to “reinforce the UK’s continued commitment to regional security, prosperity and human rights issues”, the Foreign Office said.

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Amnesty International UK’s Oliver Feeley-Sprague said: “The foreign secretary’s role as a peacemaker in Yemen is deeply compromised by the role the UK is playing in arming key members of the Saudi-led military coalition in Yemen.

“The coalition’s bombing of hospitals, homes, weddings and even bus-loads of children has been one of the biggest causes of misery in the Yemen conflict, and the UK needs to finally accept this and stop the flow of these British arms to Riyadh and its allies.”