Written question asked by Lord Judd (Labour) on Monday, 8 March 2021, in the House of Lords. It was due for an answer on Monday, 22 March 2021. It was answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon (Conservative) on Monday, 22 March 2021 on behalf of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.

Houthis

Question: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps, if any, they are taking to review the designation of the Houthi movement as a terrorist organisation.

Answer: We have no plans to proscribe the Houthis, but we keep the use of sanctions under review. We welcomed the US announcement to revoke the previous administration's designation of the Houthis as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation. The UK had engaged closely with the US administration on this matter, sharing our concerns that designation would disrupt humanitarian operations in Yemen. However, we cannot ignore Houthi actions. We have condemned the Houthis' dangerous military escalation, including cross-border attacks on Saudi Arabia and their renewed offensive on Marib. In addition, the UN Security Council recently adopted a UK drafted resolution sanctioning Houthi official Sultan Zabin for the use of sexual violence as a tool of war. We must address the Houthi sense of impunity to make progress on the peace process.

Secondary information