The humanitarian situation in Taiz, a Yemeni city of more than 900,000 people, is deteriorating rapidly as Iran-aligned Houthi forces maintain a near-total blockade around the city, according to aid organizations working in the country. Supply routes have been cut off, leaving residents with severely limited access to essential resources including drinking water, fuel, and fresh food. Heavy fighting erupted earlier this week near the city’s old airport, causing significant damage in residential areas.
The current escalation stems from airstrikes launched in July against Houthi-held positions at the airport in Sana’a by forces aligned with the internationally recognized Yemeni government and the Saudi-led coalition. Those strikes broke a 2022 ceasefire agreement that had substantially reduced violence in the country. According to aid workers on the ground, the blockade has created severe shortages: no fuel has entered the city for two to three weeks, drinking water supplies are critically low, and food prices have skyrocketed. A 20-litre container of petrol that previously cost approximately $20 has reached $80 on black markets, while potato prices have doubled. The World Food Programme reported that wheat flour reserves in the city were nearly exhausted as of mid-October.
International humanitarian support for Yemen has declined significantly. The UK reduced its annual aid allocation to £104 million from £196 million in 2020, while the United States has eliminated economic support and development assistance in its budget request for the coming fiscal year. Germany has also halved its aid program. Only 23 percent of funding for the UN’s humanitarian relief program in Yemen has been pledged by donor countries this year. The UN has called for humanitarian access to be restored to the city, and Oxfam has urged additional support from the UK government.
Hospitals in Taiz are experiencing critical medicine shortages, and sanitation has deteriorated significantly, with garbage accumulating as removal services have ceased. Aid organizations warn of potential disease outbreaks, including cholera, if conditions continue. Oxfam staff in Yemen have described an almost complete siege, with all main city entrances blocked and casualties remaining high. The organization noted that even residents with financial resources cannot obtain adequate food, while basic commodities have become unavailable in markets. UN diplomats continue mediation efforts between the warring sides, but neither the Houthis nor the internationally recognized government has indicated willingness to pursue a ceasefire or settlement.
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