New sanctions and bombings will likely slow aid distribution in the Middle East’s poorest country: Yemen
by Connor Echols, Responsible Statecraft
In early 2021, Secretary of State Antony Blinken removed the Houthis from the State Department’s lists of foreign terror groups, reversing a last-minute Trump administration move.
“This decision is a recognition of the dire humanitarian situation in Yemen,” Blinken said at the time. “We have listened to warnings from the United Nations, humanitarian groups, and bipartisan members of Congress, among others, that the designations could have a devastating impact on Yemenis’ access to basic commodities like food and fuel.”
Three years later, the situation in Yemen remains precarious, but the Biden administration has changed its calculus. Amid a Houthi campaign of attacks on ships headed toward Israel, Blinken announced that the U.S. will redesignate the organization as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist group (SDGT) next month. (The Houthis say their attacks would stop if Israel ends its assault on Gaza.)
This designation, though less stringent than the one imposed by the Trump administration, will likely complicate the distribution of aid in Yemen, according to Ashleigh Subramanian-Montgomery, the associate director of the Charity and Security Network. In practice, U.S. and UK airstrikes have already forced some aid groups to cut back operations in the country.
Recent Posts
White House Refuses To Rule Out Summary Executions Of People On Its Secret Domestic Terrorist List
Take Action Now The Trump administration ignored questions about whether it would order the killings of those on its NSPM-7 list — even while…
Koch Network Fuels Republican Push To Kill ACA Subsidies
Take Action Now As millions face higher premiums, Koch‑funded groups are pressuring Republicans to oppose Obamacare subsidy extensions.By Donald…
We’re Making ‘Tax the Rich’ More Than a Slogan
Take Action Now “Workers Over Billionaires” was the slogan on Labor Day. It should be the slogan every day.By Max Page, Labor Notes Taxing the…
‘Total Amateur Hour’: FBI Official Says Antifa Is #1 Threat in US—But Can’t Say Where, Who, or What It Is
Take Action Now “Just a complete admission here that the entire ‘antifa’ threat narrative is totally manufactured by this administration,” said one…