Recently, Yemen’s Houthi movement was designated a foreign terrorist organization by the U.S. government. The Houthi movement, also called Ansarullah, is an Iran-backed group who kill and kidnap, undermine stability in the country, and prevent future peace for Yemenis. Iran is supplying weapons and training to the Houthis and encouraging them to act despite U.N. Security Council resolutions, says former U.S. Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo. Secretary Pompeo claimed this new label seeks to hold the Houthis accountable for their terrorist actions, destroying infrastructure, and endangering civilians. However, there is no indication suggesting that this designation, along with sanctions, will bring peace to the country. This, along with the fact that the Houthi movement poses no apparent danger to the United States, asserts that former U.S. President Trump seeks to hinder Iran’s actions. It is understood that President Trump moved forward with this designation to continue to push Iran and its affiliates into a corner.
Mohammad Ali al-Houthi, a leader of the Houthi movement, claims that the group can rightfully respond to this classification, according to Reuters. In a Twitter post, Al-Houthi prefaces this statement by saying that “the policy of the Trump administration and its behaviour is terrorist.” Though Saudi Arabia praises this decision as the country has suffered attacks from Houthis for years, diplomats and humanitarian and aid organizations are concerned, asserts U.S. News.
Labelling groups as foreign terrorist organizations comes with substantial sanctions. Concerns remain about compromising progressive peace efforts in the country and potentially cutting off necessary relief for Yemenis affected by conflict. Secretary of State Pompeo promised to ensure Yemenis will receive the humanitarian aid that they need. In fact, the U.S. donated $630 million to Yemen in 2020 to bring necessary food and hygiene to civilians.
However, time will tell if these promises are kept and how many Yemenis will die because of impeded aid. Pompeo believes the time for negotiations is over. However, sanctions could cause consequential effects on civilians, may not lead to peace in the country, and can undoubtedly suggest that the U.S. is not interested in future diplomatic relations. Aside from interference of aid, global markets may be wary of investing in Yemen, which could negatively affect the country’s already-suffering economy. Additionally, developing infrastructure, including schools and water facilities, may take longer to build due to sanctions.
It is unclear how the Houthis will respond to this terrorist organization designation. Just a few years ago, U.S. and Iranian leadership agreed to the Iran Nuclear Deal. No matter how effective this policy was, this agreement symbolized both sides’ efforts at diplomacy. President Trump’s decision to leave the Iran Deal, place additional financial and oil sanctions on Iran, and to name Iran-backed Houthis as terrorists have further diminished relations between the U.S. and Iran and Yemen. Undoubtedly, President Trump is continuously making it more difficult for U.S. President-elect Biden to have diplomatic talks with Iran once he takes office, asserts U.S. News. This designation will take effect on January 19, the day before President-elect Biden will be inaugurated. President-elect Biden will be faced with time-sensitive decisions related to Iran, specifically this Houthi designation and its adverse consequences for Yemenis.
ReliefWeb claims that Yemen is the site of the worst humanitarian crisis in the world. Over 24 million Yemenis, out of a total population of 30 million, need humanitarian aid, claims this humanitarian news outlet. In some areas in Yemen, one in five children are in danger of malnutrition. Just Security affirms that less than 25 per cent of Yemenis living in rural areas have access to clean water services. Ongoing conflict and COVID-19 are making this disaster even more challenging for effective humanitarian operations in the country. Sanctions decreasing humanitarian access to this region will be devastating.
If the U.S. holds firm to this designation, they must go through the challenging process of exempting humanitarian aid from being impacted by the accompanying sanctions. Though humanitarian access may still be compromised as these organizations are concerned for their own safety in the conflict zones, acknowledging the need for unimpeded aid is critical. The U.S., international and non-government organizations, and other groups, including the United Nations and the European Union, should ensure that innocent individuals in Yemen have aid. Aside from ensuring humanitarian access, international actors should mediate peace talks in Yemen. Yemenis have suffered too much and deserve peace, access to infrastructure, and a stable government and economy. Houthis are endangering that progress, but this U.S. terror designation does not aim to benefit Yemenis either.
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