UN warns of 'grave risk' to civilians as Houthis encircle Taiz, Yemen's third-largest city

Siege cuts off Taiz

Houthi rebels have largely encircled Taiz, Yemen's third-largest city, and cut most supply routes from government-held areas, according to UN human rights chief Volker Türk. UNHCR says the encirclement began in early October and blocked the only road linking Taiz to Aden, the interim capital of the Saudi-backed government. The UN says prices of basic goods have soared, leaving many residents without food and other necessities. Government officials say the siege threatens more than 4 million people. At least 32 civilians have been killed in Taiz governorate between 1 August and 19 October, including 14 children. On Tuesday, 20 October, a Houthi strike on a residential area of Taiz killed two teenage girls and wounded six other people, local authorities said, damaging several buildings.

Türk urged the Houthis and Saudi-backed government forces to avoid explosive weapons in populated areas. He said:

“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.”

Shabwa strike and wider war

A Houthi ballistic missile hit a government military camp in Shabwa governorate on Monday, 19 October. A senior Yemeni government official put the death toll at 73, which would make it the deadliest strike since fighting resumed over the summer, while local authorities had earlier reported at least 58 dead. The government described the site as a security training centre away from the front lines. Fighting resumed in July after government and Saudi-led coalition airstrikes on Sanaa International Airport shattered a 2022 ceasefire deal. Yemen has become a widening front in the Iran war that began in February, and the Houthis have increasingly attacked Saudi Arabia, which supports the internationally recognised government. Britain said on Tuesday it is expanding its military support for Saudi Arabia, including defensive air patrols by Royal Air Force jets. Government-aligned forces also launched airstrikes in Taiz governorate on Monday, destroying Houthi reinforcements in Najd Qasim and a weapons depot in Jabal Habashi.

Displacement and aid shortfalls

UNHCR says more than 250,000 people have been internally displaced in Yemen since fighting reignited in July. Taiz accounts for 76% of departures and hosts 52% of the newly displaced, while Lahij hosts 23% and Aden 13%. About 33,700 families still need shelter assistance, and the agency points to severe underfunding of the response. UNHCR spokesperson Matthew Saltmarsh told a news conference in Geneva that the most immediate needs are shelter, food and multi-purpose cash assistance. UNICEF says escalating fighting and fuel shortages are threatening water systems that serve an estimated three million people, including at least 1.6 million children. UNICEF's Yemen representative, Akhil Iyer, told a press briefing in Geneva:

“Already one of Yemen's most water-scarce areas, Taiz is now facing renewed pressure on its most essential services for thousands of displaced families.”

The World Food Programme has warned that shifting front lines and road closures have cut 800,000 people off from life-saving assistance, most of them in Taiz. Across Yemen, more than 18 million people face severe food insecurity.

Taiz52%

Lahij23%

Aden13%

Taiz

52 %

Lahij

23 %

Aden

13 %

Data from the article text

Detained staff and frontline pressure

Mid-October figures cited by the UN put about 70 UN staff still held by the Houthis, and Türk called for their immediate and unconditional release. Fighting is moving closer to the densely populated areas of Taiz, and Türk warned that risks to civilians have risen considerably. UNHCR said shelling intensified in Taiz, including in residential areas and around health facilities. Residents and officials interviewed by phone said households were running out of food and clean drinking water, while hospitals had nearly depleted fuel and medical supplies as the siege entered its third week.