Key facts
- Water rationing is underway in and around Taiz, Yemen.
- Mounting rubbish piles raise fears of disease outbreaks.
- Water production has fallen by 50% due to fuel shortages.
- Cholera cases have tripled since early September.
- Hospitals have fuel for only about four days.
Families in and around Yemen's Taiz city are rationing water and facing fears of disease outbreaks due to mounting rubbish piles, as renewed fighting has disrupted fuel supplies and water systems. Aid groups and UN agencies reported that the conflict, ongoing since September, has cut key supply routes, including the Taiz-Aden corridor, exacerbating shortages of water, food, and fuel. The lack of fuel is hindering the operation of water pumps and hospitals, while disrupted waste collection has led to rubbish accumulating in the streets. Water production in Taiz has fallen by approximately 50%, and the cost of water trucks has tripled. The World Health Organization reported that cholera cases have tripled since early September, and 12 hospitals have fuel for only about four days.