International relief groups have joined with the UN aid agencies in lobbying against the possible U.S. State Department designation of the Houthi Ansarallah movement in Yemen as a terrorist group. A coalition of 29 relief groups including the Norwegian Refugee Council, Oxfam America and the International Rescue Committee, called on U.S. lawmakers to use their leverage to “help prevent millions of Yemenis from facing another year of violence, starvation, and disease,” reported Al-Monitor. Because the Houthis are the de facto authorities over a part of Yemen in which 80% of the population lives, distributing food and medicine to civilians in that area requires a degree of coordination between relief organizations and Houthi-run government agencies, Al-Monitor continued. A terror designation would make it difficult for aid agencies to continue engaging with those authorities without opening themselves up to possible criminal prosecution.
A Houthi designation could hamper efforts to bring food, fuel and cash into the country if banks decide it’s not worth the risk to provide services and relief workers warn it could also deter foreign donors at a time when contributions to Yemen are at record lows, Al-Monitor continues. At a minimum, the aid groups say a designation would bring “new barriers and constraints to the already complex operating environment in Yemen,” delaying the time it takes to deliver aid to those who need it. Should the State Department go through with the designation, the relief organizations are asking for waivers that would allow them to continue their work without the danger of being prosecuted for it.
