Taiz, a major population center in southwestern Yemen, has been placed under siege following a Houthi military offensive that began in early September along the Red Sea coast of Taiz governorate. The Iranian-backed group, which controls Yemen’s northwest including the capital Sanaa since the country’s war began in 2014, captured the port city of Mocha and the district of Dhubab. By October 4, the Houthis took the town of al-Turbah, severing the main road connecting Taiz city to other government-held areas. This marks a renewed siege on a city that endured a devastating blockade between 2015 and 2016, when residents faced severe shortages of food, water, fuel, and medicine.
The current siege has created immediate humanitarian and economic challenges for Taiz’s population. Approximately 2.8 million people live in government-held areas of Taiz governorate, with another 200,000 recently displaced by coastal fighting. Within days of the siege’s resumption, fuel shortages became acute, with petrol prices on the black market tripling from 30,000 to 90,000 Yemeni riyals per 20-litre container. Food supplies, which had entered through a crossing reopened in 2024 connecting to Houthi-controlled northern areas, have been cut off as fighting resumed. Markets have experienced sharp price increases for basic commodities including wheat, flour, vegetables, and fruits.
Local officials characterize the current situation as more severe than the previous siege. Nabil Jamil, director-general of the planning and development office in Taiz governorate, noted that this siege affects not only main roads but also secondary roads connecting rural districts, potentially impacting supply chains throughout the region. Some residents have accused traders of hoarding goods in response to the crisis, though traders reportedly maintain food stocks sufficient to last several months. The closure of crucial supply routes has created panic buying in local markets as residents attempt to stockpile provisions.
Government forces, backed by Saudi Arabia, launched a counteroffensive in early October and regained some lost territory, offering residents hope that the siege could be broken. Analysts suggest the Houthi objective is both to undermine opposing forces in the city, which has historically been hostile to the group, and to demonstrate their ability to threaten any government-controlled area. However, humanitarian advocates warn that prolonged sieges on large civilian populations carry severe costs regardless of military outcomes, emphasizing that civilians should not become instruments of pressure in the conflict.
Article Attribution | Read More at Article Source
Article summary produced by Claude AI