Yemen minister slams UN envoy's discontent over US designation of Houthis as terror group

Yemen's Minister of Religious Endowments and Guidance Mohammed Eida Shabiba has slammed Special Envoy for Yemen Martin Griffiths as he was not pleased with the US designation of Houthi militia as a terror group.

Speaking at the UN Security Council, Griffiths expressed his extreme concern about the impact of the US' decision to designate Ansar Allah – the Houthis – as a foreign terrorist organisation, noting that this would have a "chilling effect" on his efforts to bring the Yemeni parties together.

On his Twitter account, the Yemeni minister wrote: "Griffiths is an envoy of a Shia imam, not a UN envoy," referring to the religious sect of the Houthis who are inspired by their imams.

The remarks by Griffiths sparked a wide-ranging critical campaign among Yemenis as he was accused of siding with the Houthis and ignoring the plight of the Yemenis.

The Yemeni government welcomed this designation and considered it a "positive" step towards stopping Houthi terror crimes and heinous acts against Yemenis.