Murphy Leads Senate Colleagues in Urging Biden Administration Against Re-Designation of Houthi Movement in Yemen as a Foreign Terrorist Organization

Press Release

U.S. Senator Murphy (D-Conn.), Chairman of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Near East, South Asia, Central Asia and Counterterrorism, on Wednesday led a group of 11 senators in a letter urging U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken against the re-designation of the Houthi movement in Yemen as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO). The senators highlighted that a re-designation would have little practical impact on Houthi leaders, but would deepen the country's economic collapse, obstruct humanitarian assistance for millions of Yemenis facing famine, and hinder efforts to secure a diplomatic end to the war.

"We write to express our deep concern about the potential re-designation of the Houthi movement in Yemen ("Ansar Allah") as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO). Applying this designation would precipitate an economic collapse, dramatically deepen the country's severe humanitarian crisis, and could undermine the prospects for peace in Yemen," the senators wrote.

The senators continued: "Yemen relies on commercial imports for 90% of its food, fuel, and medicine. If the Houthis are re-designated as an FTO, commercial suppliers and shippers have indicated they will immediately cease bringing goods into any part of Yemen -- regardless of any system of licenses or exemptions. This would cause an immediate and widespread crisis at a time when, already, more than 15 million Yemenis suffer from acute hunger and five million are one step away from famine."

"We urge you not to pursue a designation that would have little practical impact on the Houthi leadership but would have catastrophic humanitarian consequences. Millions of Yemeni lives hang in the balance, and the United States should remain focused on alleviating the human suffering and ending this war," the senators concluded.

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