The State Department said Friday it will review an eleventh-hour decision by the Trump administration to call the Houthi rebels in Yemen a foreign terrorist organization.
The quick decision to start a review of the last-minute move under the then Secretary of State Mike Pompeo
Mike PompeoJilani: China ‘sends clear message’ to Biden officials with sanctions that opposition could lead to ‘future pay cut’ New Israeli envoy arrives in Washington, turns page on Trump era Biden ousts controversial head of US Agency for Global Media MORE comes after critics said the designation could exacerbate a serious humanitarian crisis in Yemen by hindering the distribution of aid in areas under the control of the Houthis.
Ansarallah, also known as the Houthis, bears considerable responsibility for the humanitarian catastrophe and insecurity in Yemen. We strongly believe that Ansarallah must change his behavior, ”a State Department spokesman told The Hill.
“At the same time, we must ensure that we do not hinder the delivery of humanitarian aid. As noted by designated Secretary Blinken, the State Department has begun a review of Ansarallah’s terrorist designations, ”the spokesperson added, referring to Antony Blink
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Incoming officials from the Biden administration had raised the alarm about the designation, indicating that the Trump-era movement could be reversed shortly after the inauguration.
Blinken, whom the Biden administration hopes will be confirmed in the coming days, told senators at his confirmation hearing this week that he would push for a review of the designation “immediately.”
He said his “deep concern about the designation that was made is that it does not seem at least at first glance to achieve anything particularly practical by continuing the efforts against the Houthis and bringing them back to the negotiating table, while even more difficult than it already is to provide humanitarian aid to people who need it badly. “
The State Department spokesman told The Hill it “will not publicly discuss or comment on any internal deliberations on that revision; But with the humanitarian crisis in Yemen, we are working as fast as we can to carry out the evaluation and make a decision. ”
Yemen’s long-standing civil war between the Houthis, linked to Iran, and the government backed by Saudi Arabia – a key US ally – has plunged the country into one of the worst humanitarian crises in modern history. Thousands of civilians have died in the fighting and famine has spread to every corner of the country.
Pompeo instituted the designation during his departure from office as a sign of US support for the operations against the Houthis. However, health experts warned that the label could hinder the delivery of aid to civilians in Houthi areas by humanitarian groups who would cut back on aid to avoid colliding with the sanctions.
Pompeo said in his announcement that the United States “planned to take measures to reduce its impact on certain humanitarian activities and imports into Yemen.”
“We have expressed our willingness to work with relevant United Nations officials, with international and non-governmental organizations and other international donors to address these implications,” he said, although criticism persisted.
“This comes at the absolute most difficult time in which 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 fighting global poverty and hunger in the world. , The Hill said this week.
“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 loss of lives across the country.”
Blinken told senators Tuesday that Biden plans to end US support for the Saudi offensive in Yemen, largely due to humanitarian concerns.
“The president-elect has made it clear that we will end our support for the Saudi-led military campaign in Yemen,” he said.
“But I want to [to] make it clear, I think we should be in close contact with Saudi Arabia, with our partner there. We have to be very clear about what we do, why we do something and talk about it, “he added.” Most importantly, for reasons we have discussed, we believe that continuing that support is not in the national interest. . “