GETTY More than £100m has been committed to the crisis in Yemen by the UK Government

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International Development Secretary Priti Patel announced that Britain will provide an additional £37million in funding for Yemen this year. A total of £72m has already been committed to the crisis in Yemen by the UK Government. But the Government has simultaneously approved more than £3billion in arms sales over the past 18 months.

Hundreds have been killed in airstrikes that have hit schools, hospitals, markets and private homes, and nearly half of Yemen's 22 provinces are on the verge of famine. The rapidly deteriorating situation in Yemen has prompted campaigners to call on Theresa May to halt the arms trade with the Saudis. Activists say UK-made armaments are being used in indiscriminate bombing raids on civilian targets by the Saudi-led coalition, which is fighting Shia rebels known as the Houthis.

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News that the Government now plans to up the amount of aid it is spending in the country is likely to raise eyebrows, with campaigners arguing that it would be more effective to save the aid money and not sell the arms in the first place. A recent report by MPs said there was evidence that Saudi airstrikes had killed 47 civilians - among them 21 women and 15 children - and injured 58 more when a house hosting a wedding party was struck by two missiles.

GETTY Saudi jets have been conducting raids in Yemen

GETTY Hundreds of civilians have been killed in the strikes