US ‘terrorist’ designation for Houthis will deepen Yemen’s humanitarian crisis: aid groups
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region — Humanitarian organizations are warning of catastrophic consequences for civilians after the outgoing Trump administration announced the designation of Yemen’s Houthi rebels, one of Iran’s main regional allies, a terrorist organization.
“Terrorist designations of Ansarallah in Yemen confront its terrorist activity and seeks to deter further malign activity by the Iranian regime in the region,” Secretary of State Mike Pompeo tweeted on Monday morning, using the official name for the group.
The Houthis, who are strongly backed by Iran, have been a main player in Yemen’s civil war since its onset in 2014. The US has accused the group of serving as Iran’s proxies in the Arabian Peninsula, in order to counter its ideological foe, Saudi Arabia.
“The Foreign Terrorist Organization designation that Secretary Pompeo has chosen to apply is by far the most severe – and the most deadly for Yemeni families,” Oxfam said in a statement on Monday.
Yemen's civil war has left a quarter of million people dead, ravaged the country’s economy, and “created the world’s worst humanitarian crisis,” according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).
“It will block US humanitarian aid, goods, and personnel from entering northern Yemen, where 70% of the population lives, and will substantially reduce them throughout the rest of the country,” Oxfam added, demanding that President-elect Joe Biden immediately revoke the designation when he comes to office later this month.
Three UN agencies warned in December about the dire situation developing in the first half of this year in the country. “Yemen is on the brink of famine and we must not turn our backs on the millions of families who are now in desperate need. Make no mistake, 2021 will be even worse than 2020 for Yemen’s most vulnerable people.”
The International Rescue Committee, a New York-based humanitarian organisation, called the designation “a callous political move that will harm rather than help the urgently needed diplomatic process.”
"This is pure diplomatic vandalism… This policy, in the name of tying up the Houthis, will actually tie up the aid community and international diplomacy,” a JCC statement quoted its president David Milliband as saying.
The designation of the Houthis militia comes after the State Department designated the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) in its entirety in April 2019 to “counter Iran-backed terrorism around the world.”
While Washington’s sanctions have managed to strike a severe blow to the Iranian economy, it has not swayed Tehran and the IRGC’s continued support for regional allies, including the Houthis. If anything the Trump administration’s actions have emboldened Iran’s proclamations of support for the groups.
“In relation to our presence in the region, they constantly ask, why Iran is present in the region? The Islamic Republic establishment is obliged to behave in a way that strengthens its friends and allies,” Iran Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei said on January 8 days after the first anniversary of the US assassination of General Qasem Soleimani, architect of its Middle East policies, in Baghdad.
“Our presence creates stability… Syria and issues like this and I don’t want to reveal the details. Those responsible [for these countries] are aware. Therefore, our presence in the region is fundamental, it must exist and it will continue,” he added.
The designation of the Houthis which are in control of the capital Sanaa and most urban centers could complicate the matter for the UN which aims to find a political settlement by resuming talks between the warring parties.
“We …have been clear in explaining why we oppose the designation of the Houthis as a terrorist organization, doing so risks collectively punishing all #Yemenis by precipitating a famine while doing little to hurt the Houthis other than pushing them closer to Iran,” International Crisis Group senior Yemen Analyst Peter Salisbury wrote on Twitter. “Along with many others we’ve relayed our assessment to numerous senior US officials over the last three months. I know that many agreed with us, but the decision has been made at a senior level to push ahead.”
Updated at 9:16 pm