Ben Mubarak: We will take measures to prevent food imports from being harmed by US sanctions.

Prime Minister Ahmed Awad bin Mubarak said his government will take "all necessary measures" to ensure that vulnerable social groups and food and commodity imports are not harmed by the designation of the Houthis as a terrorist organization.

During his reception of the UN Resident Coordinator in Yemen, Julien Harneis, in Aden, Bin Mubarak reassured the humanitarian community that all coordinated measures would be taken to ensure that the designation of the Houthi militia as a foreign terrorist organization is directed toward its primary objectives.

He indicated that the government will take measures to ensure "that vulnerable social groups, food imports, and life-saving goods are not harmed," referring to the potential harm that US sanctions could cause to citizens in Houthi-controlled areas.

He affirmed support for the work of the Permanent Joint Coordination Committee between the government and the United Nations in Yemen to identify interventions based on priorities and transition from humanitarian aid to early recovery and sustainable development.

The expected outcomes of the joint coordination framework between the government and the United Nations were discussed to determine intervention priorities based on urgent needs.

The meeting reviewed the humanitarian response programs led by the United Nations and its affiliated organizations and agencies in Yemen, mechanisms to overcome the decline in international support, ongoing violations by the terrorist Houthi militia against aid workers and employees, and the relocation of the organizations' headquarters to Aden.

On March 4, the US State Department announced the designation of the Houthi group in Yemen as a "foreign terrorist organization." The humanitarian community fears the negative consequences of this designation for civilians in areas controlled by the Houthi militia.