Yemen’s central bank instructed banks and exchange companies on Tuesday to freeze the accounts and assets of 135 Houthi-linked individuals, entities, and vessels. The government-run SABA news agency reported that those targeted have been placed on terrorism lists.
The Aden-based bank issued the directive following an October 19 order by the country’s public prosecutor, who called for the designations and asset freezes over alleged ties to the Houthi group.
Financial and commercial dealings with the listed parties are now banned. Institutions must also stop opening new bank accounts or carrying out transactions on their behalf.
Financial institutions received instructions to identify all accounts, assets, and money transfers tied to the listed names. They must report these holdings to the country’s financial intelligence and anti-money laundering authorities.
According to SABA, the targeted list features Houthi political, military, and security officials. It also includes businessmen, one company, and five oil tankers that Yemeni authorities identified as smuggling vessels.
The news agency did not disclose the names of the individuals or entities on the list. The directives form part of a broader financial pressure campaign by the state.
On October 11, Yemen’s internationally recognized government approved a draft law. The legislation designates the Houthis as a terrorist organization and criminalises the group’s activities and financing.
The government also called for completing the legal and constitutional procedures needed to enact the legislation. That decision came amid escalating hostilities between the Houthis and forces aligned with the internationally recognised government, which is backed by a Saudi-led coalition.
Yemen has been engulfed in conflict since 2014, when the Houthis seized the capital, Sanaa, and much of the country’s northern territory.
