The State Department plans to revoke the Trump administration’s decision to call the Houthi movement in Yemen a terrorist organization in an effort to ease the country’s humanitarian crisis.
A spokesman for the State Department confirmed the former Secretary of State’s relapse Mike Pompeo
Mike PompeoUS plans to withdraw terrorist designation for Houthi rebels Pompeo rebukes Biden’s new foreign policy New Uyghur abuse claims call for UN investigationThe eleventh hour’s action, which critics warned, could prevent aid from being delivered to areas under Houthi control as famine and medicine shortages plague Yemen.
“[Secretary of State Antony] Blinken was clear about conducting a swift revision of Ansarallah’s appointments given the profound impact on the people of Yemen, home of the world’s worst humanitarian disaster. After an extensive review, we can confirm that the Secretary intends to withdraw Ansarallah through the Foreign Terrorist Organization and the specially designated global terrorist designation Ansarallah, ”the spokesman said, using a different term for the Houthis.
“We have formally notified Congress of the Secretary’s intention to withdraw these designations and will be sharing more details in the coming days,” the spokesman added. “Our action is entirely due to the humanitarian ramifications of this last-minute designation by the previous administration, which the United Nations and humanitarian agencies have since made clear would accelerate the world’s worst humanitarian crisis.”
Pompeo had slapped the Houthis on the terrorist designation on Jan. 19, the last full day of the Trump administration, brushing aside warnings that the movement could restrict the movement of humanitarian aid to key parts of Yemen.
The United Nations has said that the civil war in Yemen between the Houthis and a Gulf coalition led by Saudi Arabia has triggered the world’s worst humanitarian crisis, leaving 80 percent of Yemenis in distress. The Yemeni Houthis have ties to Iran, while the US has backed its ally Riyadh in the war.
President Biden said on Thursday that the US will end support for offensive operations in the conflict. Saudi airstrikes are accused of widespread civilian casualties.
The State Department spokesman said the move “has nothing to do with our view of the Houthis and their reprehensible behavior, including attacks on civilians and the kidnapping of American civilians.”
“We are committed to helping Saudi Arabia defend its territory from further such attacks,” the person said.
Biden also claimed this week that the US would continue to defend Saudi Arabia from attacks.
Saudi Arabia faces missile attacks, [drone] strikes and other threats from Iranian-supplied forces in multiple countries, ”he said. “We will continue to support and help Saudi Arabia defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity and its people.”
Blinken had opened a review on the designation in late January after the new government faced a push campaign to reverse Pompeo’s move.
“This comes at the absolute most difficult time as more than 16 million Yemeni women, children and men live in severe and worsening food insecurity,” said Michelle Nunn, CEO of CARE USA, an international nongovernmental organization dedicated to combating global poverty and hunger in the world. , The Hill said.
“This specific designation amounts to an order to cease and desist the humanitarian response in North Yemen and its consequences will lead to more despair and lost lives across the country,” Nunn added.