Yemen welcomes U.S. designation of Houthi militias as a global terrorist group

Yemen welcomes the decision of the United States of America to designate the Houthi militias as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist group.

This designation is consistent with the Yemeni government’s classification of the Houthi militias and comes in response to the Yemeni government’s call on the international community to take serious measures to protect the Yemeni people from their oppression and terrorism.

Ever Since the Houthi coup in 2014, and in the absence of a real deterrent for them, the Houthis have not stopped their terrorism, and crimes against Yemenis: by bombing homes and places of worship; persecuting religious minorities, opponents and critics of their practices and confiscating their properties; arresting and torturing journalists and political activists; besieging cities; planting mines on land and sea; threatening international shipping routes; using health and educational facilities for military purposes, and civilians as human shields; and destroying economic institutions in Yemen.

The Government emphasizes that in order to bring peace, the Houthi militias must abandon their terrorist behavior and their dependence on the Iranian regime, renounce violence, and accept peace initiatives, including the road map proposed by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and all other efforts to maintain the security and stability of Yemen and the region.