Yemen could be afflicted by an even worse humanitarian catastrophe if the UK government goes ahead with a plan to designate the Houthi rebels as a terrorist group, leading aid agencies have warned cabinet ministers in a letter.
The move could result in international banks and companies that import food, medicines and fuel into the country halting some activities out of concern they would unintentionally fall foul of UK terrorism laws. The Trump administration first designated Ansar Allah, or the Houthi movement, as a terrorist group for a brief period last year, leading to Yemen’s imports falling by 25%, the agencies said. The decision was reversed by the Biden administration.The agencies wrote: “We are concerned that proscription is a blunt tool that could further worsen already dire economic conditions and cripple the humanitarian response.