U.S. State Dept says working to conclude Houthi terrorist designation review

FILE PHOTO: Houthi supporters hold up their weapons during a demonstration against the United States decision to designate the Houthis as a foreign terrorist organisation, in Sanaa, Yemen January 20, 2021. REUTERS/Khaled Abdullah/File Photo

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. State Department has initiated a review of the terrorist designation of Yemen's Houthi movement and is working as fast as it can to conclude the process and make a determination, a State Department spokesperson said on Friday.

President Joe Biden's nominee for Secretary of State Antony Blinken said earlier this week that Washington would take a look at the designation, which U.N. officials and aid groups fear is complicating efforts to combat the world's largest humanitarian crisis.