The humanitarian situation in Taiz, southwestern Yemen, is deteriorating amid continued military clashes and the closure of roads connecting the city to other urban centres. Residents are facing severe shortages of food, water, fuel and medical supplies, while the delivery of humanitarian assistance is becoming increasingly difficult.
اضافة اعلان
Nabil Abdulhafiz, Yemen's Deputy Minister of Human Rights for International Cooperation, warned of the worsening humanitarian conditions in the city, saying Taiz is facing circumstances similar to those in the Gaza Strip, particularly in terms of the impact of the blockade on civilians and the healthcare sector.
Abdulhafiz said more than 1,000 patients require dialysis machines to remain operational, while thousands of premature babies need incubators. He also warned that operating rooms could be forced to shut down due to fuel shortages.
He called on international organisations to take action and use available mechanisms to deliver aid and save patients, arguing that assistance could reach the city even from its outskirts, as was done in the Gaza Strip.
Abdulhafiz accused the Houthi group of imposing collective punishment on civilians in Taiz and called for an international response to what he described as Houthi terrorism. He also urged the Arab coalition to provide assistance, including through airdrops, and support government forces and popular resistance groups in efforts to end the blockade.
Widespread Displacement and Growing Humanitarian Needs
The military escalation has coincided with a worsening displacement crisis and declining access to essential services. The overlapping effects of the blockade, shortages of food, water and fuel, and deteriorating healthcare services are threatening the lives of hundreds of thousands of residents, particularly children, women and displaced people.
In late October, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported that more than 281,000 people had been displaced across Yemen since early August, with more than half of them residing in Taiz Governorate. The agency also noted that humanitarian access had become increasingly difficult.
According to OCHA, three-quarters of displaced people are living in sites lacking adequate shelter, clean water and sanitation services. More than 35,000 families need shelter assistance, while over 230,000 people require emergency water, sanitation and hygiene support.
On October 28, Yemen's Ministry of Public Health and Population warned that continued fighting and restrictions on medical supplies threatened to halt essential and life-saving healthcare services.
Renewed Blockade and Stalled Road Reopening Efforts
The roots of Taiz's road crisis date back to years of conflict between government forces and the Houthi group. Major roads connecting the city to other areas were closed when fighting erupted, placing severe restrictions on the movement of residents and the flow of supplies.
Following the opening of the Dhubab road southwest of the city, it became one of the main land routes connecting Taiz with its surroundings. The UN-brokered truce in 2022 also placed the reopening of roads on the negotiating agenda, but talks stalled without an agreement to reopen the main routes.
In June 2024, the Al-Qasr road linking central Taiz with the Al-Hawban area east of the city was reopened after nearly nine years of closure, easing travel difficulties for residents.
However, renewed military clashes in October brought movement restrictions back into force, with roads connecting the city to other urban centres closed once again. This has further aggravated the humanitarian crisis and made it more difficult for supplies and aid to reach the population.
Source: news agencies
