Brief
UN warns Houthis siege of Taiz threatens millions as aid blocked
UN officials say the Houthi siege of Taiz cuts essential supplies and risks a humanitarian catastrophe.
By Felo News Desk · Published
The United Nations warned on Tuesday that the Houthi‑imposed siege of Yemen’s city of Taiz is cutting off humanitarian supplies and endangering up to four million civilians.
What happened
Houthis have surrounded Taiz after seizing the last road that linked the city to Aden, effectively blocking the flow of food, fuel and medical aid. The UN World Food Programme says the closure has left about 800,000 people without life‑saving assistance, most of them in Taiz. Between 1 August and 19 October, at least 32 civilians – including 14 children – were killed in fighting in the governorate.
What the reports add
Al Jazeera reported that UN Human Rights Chief Volker Turk called for the immediate opening of humanitarian corridors and urged all parties to refrain from using wide‑area explosive weapons in populated areas. The outlet also noted that the internationally recognised Yemeni government has appealed to the UN to lift the blockade, warning that the siege threatens more than four million people.
What was said
"The Houthis’ closure of the only supply route linking Taiz to Aden is placing civilians at grave risk, blocking humanitarian aid and cutting off essential supplies," the UN high commissioner said, as quoted by Al Jazeera.
"Humanitarian aid must be immediately allowed to enter the city and its passage must be facilitated. Civilians wishing to leave must be allowed to do so freely and safely," Turk added.
"I urge all parties to the conflict to refrain from the use of explosive weapons with wide‑area effects in populated areas and to take all feasible precautions to protect civilians and civilian objects," Turk told Al Jazeera.
How it came about
Earlier this month, government‑aligned forces launched air strikes in Taiz governorate that destroyed Houthi reinforcements and a weapons depot, according to the same Al Jazeera report. The escalation follows a pattern of repeated sieges on Taiz throughout the Yemeni war, with the latest tightening of the blockade intensifying shortages of basic commodities and driving up prices.
Key facts
- The UN warned that the Houthi siege of Taiz blocks humanitarian aid for up to 800,000 people. (aljazeera.com)
- At least 32 civilians, including 14 children, were killed in Taiz governorate between 1 August and 19 October. (aljazeera.com)
- UN Human Rights Chief Volker Turk called for immediate humanitarian corridors and an end to wide‑area explosive weapons. (aljazeera.com)
Sources
- [1] aljazeera.com — originally reported as “Yemen’s Taiz faces deadly siege, as Shabwah death toll rises”
