Houthis focus on weakening the Yemeni government

Yemen's Houthis, a militia backed by the Islamic Republic of Iran, have armed al-Qaeda members, provided them with safe havens and facilitated attacks against Yemeni government-controlled areas, Arab News reports based on a recent report by UN experts.

Mentioning the partnership between the Houthis and al-Qaeda and other terrorist groups, including al-Shabaab in Somalia, the UN panel of experts on Yemen noted that the Yemeni rebels and the terrorist organization agreed to put aside their differences and focus on weakening the Yemeni government through transferring weapons, coordinating attacks against Yemeni government forces, exchanging information and providing safe havens.

Also, the Tehran-backed Yemeni militia released imprisoned al-Qaeda fighters convicted of terrorism and provided the terrorist group with drones and missiles.

Investigations by the UN panel revealed that the Yemeni militia managed to collect approximately 994 billion Yemeni rials in the name of customs duties on fuel imports through ports under its control during the period from April 1, 2022 to June 30, 2024, under the prevailing exchange rate in government-controlled areas.

The UN panel also accuses the Houthis of recruiting and exploiting African migrants to fight alongside them against the Yemeni government and work in the drug trade.

The Yemeni government has again urged the international community to designate the Houthis as a terrorist organization and cut off their financial resources.