{"id":104498,"date":"2021-01-14T16:38:01","date_gmt":"2021-01-14T16:38:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/fin2me.com\/?p=104498"},"modified":"2021-01-14T16:38:01","modified_gmt":"2021-01-14T16:38:01","slug":"top-u-n-officials-urge-u-s-to-revoke-blacklisting-of-yemens-houthis-warn-of-famine","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fin2me.com\/markets\/top-u-n-officials-urge-u-s-to-revoke-blacklisting-of-yemens-houthis-warn-of-famine\/","title":{"rendered":"Top U.N. officials urge U.S. to revoke blacklisting of Yemen's Houthis, warn of famine"},"content":{"rendered":"
NEW YORK (Reuters) – Three top United Nations officials all called on the United States on Thursday to revoke its decision to designate Yemen\u2019s Houthis a foreign terrorist organization, warning it would push the country into a large-scale famine and chill peace efforts.<\/p> U.N. Yemen mediator Martin Griffiths, U.N. aid chief Mark Lowcock and U.N. food chief David Beasley issued their warnings during a U.N. Security Council meeting on Yemen.<\/p>\n \u201cWe fear that there will be inevitably a chilling effect on my efforts to bring the parties together,\u201d Griffiths told the 15-member body. \u201cThe decision will contribute to the prospect of famine in Yemen and should be revoked based on humanitarian grounds at the earliest opportunity.\u201d<\/p>\n The United Nations describes Yemen as the world\u2019s largest humanitarian crisis, with 80% of the people in need of aid.<\/p>\n U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced the move against the Iran-aligned Houthis on Sunday. It will come into effect on Jan. 19, the last full day in office of President Donald Trump\u2019s administration.<\/p>\n President-elect Joe Biden takes office on Jan. 20. The designation could be revoked by Biden\u2019s administration.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are struggling now without the designation. With the designation, it\u2019s going to be catastrophic. It literally is going to be a death sentence to hundreds of thousands, if not millions of innocent people in Yemen,\u201d said Beasley, a former governor of South Carolina.<\/p>\n \u201cThis designation – it needs to be reassessed, it needs to be reevaluated. And quite frankly, it needs to be reversed,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n While the United Nations and aid groups help about a third of Yemen\u2019s 28 million people, Lowcock stressed commercial imports are key to ensuring millions more have access to food.<\/p>\n He said a U.S. plan to issue licenses and exemptions to allow aid agencies to continue working will not prevent a famine in Yemen, which relies almost solely on imports.<\/p>\n \u201cAid agencies cannot \u2013 they simply cannot – replace the commercial import system,\u201d said Lowcock, warning the U.S. decision would push Yemen into a \u201cfamine on a scale that we have not seen for nearly 40 years.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat would prevent it? A reversal of the (U.S.) decision,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n The designation freezes any U.S.-related assets of the Houthis, bans Americans from doing business with them and makes it a crime to provide support or resources to the movement.<\/p>\n Beasley also raised the alarm on a massive shortfall in aid funding for Yemen. He called on \u201cthe Gulf states, the Saudis to pick up the financial tab for the needs inside Yemen because the needs in other parts of the world are so great.\u201d<\/p>\n