The United States will remove Yemen's Houthi rebels from its list of terrorist groups, a designation aid organizations have deemed detrimental to aid efforts on the ground.
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The UN hailed the move, while belligerents on both sides praised Washington's peace efforts in the warring country.
US Foreign Minister Antony Blinken "
formally
" informed Congress on Friday of his intention to remove the Houthis from this blacklist, the State Department said.
The measure will take effect quickly.
"
Canceling this designation is a step towards peace
", reacted Saturday to AFP Abdulelah Hajar, a Houthi official.
"
The revocation of this designation will bring deep relief to millions of Yemenis who depend on humanitarian assistance and commercial imports to meet their basic vital needs
," said the spokesperson for the secretary general of the country. UN Antonio Guterres in a statement.
The Houthis had been classified as a terrorist group at the end of Donald Trump's tenure, but aid organizations believed this hampered their action on the ground.
Humanitarian consequences
"
This decision has nothing to do with what we think of the Houthis and their reprehensible conduct, including attacks on civilians and kidnapping of US citizens
," the State Department spokesman said.
“
We are committed to helping Saudi Arabia defend its territory against further attacks.
Our action is due solely to the humanitarian consequences of this last-minute appointment by the previous administration, which the United Nations and humanitarian organizations have since clearly said would accelerate the most serious humanitarian crisis in the world,
”he added. he explains.
Aid organizations have said they have no choice but to deal with the Houthis, who de facto rule much of Yemen including the capital Sana'a.
However, their designation as terrorists exposed any entity dealing with these rebels to the risk of being sued by the United States.
Antony Blinken's predecessor, Mike Pompeo, justified the move by highlighting the Houthis' ties to Iran, to which President Trump was very hostile, and by citing a deadly rebel attack in December on Aden airport. , second largest city in Yemen.