United States allows transactions with Houthis as ‘terrorist’ label reviewed

Help groups warn the Trump administration’s designation of Yemeni rebels might trigger famine in the war-torn nation.

The United States has actually temporarily stayed a restriction on deals involving Yemen’s Houthi motion as it evaluates a decision by previous President Donald Trump’s administration to designate the Iran-aligned group as a “foreign terrorist organisation”.

The announcement on Monday allows all transactions involving the Houthis, who are associated with a years-long dispute in Yemen against a military union led by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, until February 26.

It comes a day after 22 help organisations working in the war-torn nation called on the US to lift the “terrorist” designation about issues it would worsen a continuing humanitarian crisis and danger plunging the country into widespread scarcity.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo revealed the Houthi designation on January 19, a day before President Joe Biden took office.

The step froze any US-related assets of the Houthis, banned Americans from doin