Yemen: Houthi Terrorism Designation Threatens Aid
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US Action Risks Lives of Millions Already Facing Starvation
(Washington) – The Trump administration’s potential designation of the Houthi armed group in Yemen as a “foreign terrorist organization” would threaten humanitarian aid on which millions of Yemenis rely for survival, Human Rights Watch said today. Over 20 million people in Yemen – nearly two-thirds of the population – require food assistance.
If the US government designates the Houthis as a foreign terrorist organization, then anyone in the United States or abroad suspected of providing support or resources to the armed group could be prosecuted under various federal laws, including those banning material support for terrorism. This could prevent numerous nonprofit groups and humanitarian aid organizations from operating in areas under Houthi control, where the bulk of the country’s population lives. The material support restrictions could also create