clear

Creating new perspectives since 2009

UN ‘deeply concerned’ about US plan to designate Houthis as a foreign terrorist group

January 14, 2021 at 4:30 am

Yemenis hold placards during a protest to demand Iran-backed Houthis to be listed as a ” terror organization” at a stadium in Taiz, Yemen on 13 December 2020. [Abdulnasser Alseddik – Anadolu Agency]

The United Nations (UN) is “extremely concerned” about the potential impact of the US plan to designate the Yemeni Houthi group as a foreign terrorist group, according to a UN official.

Spokesman for the UN Secretary-General Stéphane Dujarric told reporters on Tuesday that the organisation is particularly concerned about the impact of Washington’s decision on the humanitarian situation in Yemen and the risk of famine.

Yemen remains the world’s worst humanitarian crisis. Nearly 80 per cent of the population requires some form of humanitarian assistance and protection,” he expressed, explaining that the situation on the ground continues to worsen as 50,000 Yemenis are already living in famine-like conditions, while five million more are just one step away.

“Preventing famine remains the top priority right now,” Dujarric added.

As confirmed by the UN official, by the end of 2020, Yemen’s 2020 Humanitarian Response Plan had only received 50 per cent of the $3.38 billion needed for the aid operations, which is less than half of what was received in 2019.

READ: Yemen cannot afford to have another year of Saudi and UAE impunity