Article Summary
The Biden administration will designate Yemen’s Houthi militia as a “specially designated global terrorist” group from mid-February 2023, according to Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken. The move is a response to escalating Houthi missile and drone attacks on maritime traffic off Yemen’s coast. The designation will block the group’s access to the global financial system and impose other penalties. However, the administration has not applied the more severe “foreign terrorist organization” designation, which the Trump administration had imposed on the Houthis in its final days, but was later revoked by the State Department under President Biden in early 2021.
US Labels Yemen’s Houthi Militia as Terrorist Organization
The Biden administration is set to classify Yemen’s Houthi militia, backed by Iran, as a “specially designated global terrorist” group. This move partly reinstates sanctions lifted three years ago on the group known for regional shipping traffic attacks. The announcement by Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken, expected to take effect mid-February, will impede the group’s access to the global financial system among other penalties.
The US stopped short of the more serious “foreign terrorist organization” designation previously imposed by the Trump administration and revoked by Biden’s administration in early 2021. This severe classification would make it easier to prosecute anyone knowingly supporting the Houthis. Aid groups have warned that such a designation could hinder humanitarian aid reaching Yemen.
Recent Houthi missile and drone attacks on maritime traffic off Yemen’s coast have drawn a military response from the US and led major shipping companies to reroute their vessels. Despite dozens of strikes on Houthi facilities, the group retains its ability to target commercial traffic in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.
The designation aims to strike a balance, protecting the flow of urgently needed humanitarian aid for the Yemeni population suffering from a decade-long civil war. David Schenker, former assistant secretary of state for Near Eastern affairs, suggests that the Biden administration is trying to reflect its frustration with the Houthis while minimizing potential humanitarian risks.
US officials worry that this terrorist branding could deter aid groups from sending supplies into Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen, putting them at risk of criminal liability. Secretary Blinken stated that the US would work with aid providers before the designation takes effect, to ensure the protection of Yemeni civilians.
Despite these assurances, some aid organizations, like the International Rescue Committee, anticipate the new designation will have a “serious chilling effect.” They fear it may discourage private-sector actors, including food importers and banks facilitating transactions for humanitarian organizations, from engagement.
Yemen currently holds the world’s highest malnutrition rate, with at least 2.2 million children under five needing urgent treatment. It is unclear how this terrorism designation will impact the fragile US and Saudi efforts to negotiate a peace deal to end the Yemen conflict.
The Houthis, viewed by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates as dangerous proxies for Iran, have deepened Yemen’s civil conflict. The Biden administration, led by US special envoy for Yemen, Tim Lenderking, initiated a truce and has been working to secure a lasting peace deal.
Despite doubts about the impact of the new action on restraining the Houthis, the Biden administration believes it will enable sanctions and prosecutions against companies assisting the Houthis. The designation can be removed if the Houthis cease aggressive behavior. The Houthis, a Shiite group professing hatred of Israel, have recently been attacking ships they believe are bound for Israel.
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