SANA’A (Dispatches) – Aid
agencies have expressed concern over the possible U.S. designation of Yemen’s Ansarullah movement as a “terrorist group”, warning it could severely hamper humanitarian efforts in the country where an estimated 22 million people require assistance.
On Wednesday, U.S. President Joe Biden said the re-designation of the movement was “under consideration” following Yemeni army’s retaliatory drone and missile attacks on Abu Dhabi earlier this week.
Erin Hutchinson, the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) country director for Yemen, sounded the alarm over Biden’s remarks, telling Middle East Eye that any possible re-designation of the movement could endanger millions already struggling “to survive a full-blown humanitarian catastrophe”.
“We said repeatedly in the past that designating Ansarullah a terrorist organization would have far-reaching impacts on Yemen’s already dire humanitarian situation, and we think the same today,” Erin Hutchinson told the Middle East Eye (MEE) news portal.
“The designation would come with sanctions that would harm NRC’s ability to provide lifesaving aid to people in dire circumstances. The U.S. government must ensure that any sanctions do not block food, fuel, medicines, and other essential goods and services from entering the country and reaching people in need just trying to survive a full-blown humanitarian catastrophe.”
Similarly, Oxfam America’s humanitarian policy manager said the U.S. designation would severely impact the ability of aid groups to respond on the ground.
“As we said a year ago, this designation absolutely cannot happen because of the humanitarian implications it would have,” Scott Paul said.
Last month, the food-assistance branch of the United Nations announced that it was “forced” to cut aid to Yemen due to a lack of funds.
The World Food Programme (WFP), which feeds 13 million Yemenis, said in a statement that eight million will receive a reduced food ration, while five million at immediate risk of slipping into famine conditions will remain on a full ration.
Saudi Arabia launched the devastating war on its southern neighbor in March 2015 in collaboration with a number of its allied states and with arms and logistics support from the U.S. and several Western states.
The war has stopped well shy of all of its goals, despite killing tens of thousands of Yemenis and turning entire Yemen into the scene of the world’s worst humanitarian crisis.
Meanwhile, the Yemeni forces have in recent months gone from strength to strength against the Saudi-led invaders and left Riyadh and its allies bogged down in Yemen.