Key facts
- Residents of Taiz, Yemen, report intensifying bombardment and dwindling supplies.
- The Houthis have encircled Taiz, Yemen's third-largest city, by cutting off a main road to Aden.
- The International Organization for Migration stated that access to Taiz is significantly constrained, leading to price hikes for basic goods.
- A sack of wheat has increased in price by as much as 40% in Taiz.
- A small bottle of water in Taiz now costs up to $4.
- Government forces reported that Houthi fighters seized the town of Mudiriyat al-Misrakh, 25 km south of Taiz.
Residents of Taiz, Yemen's third-largest city, are facing intensified shelling and dwindling supplies as Houthi fighters tighten their control over surrounding areas, according to Reuters.
The Houthi group cut off a main road from Taiz to Aden last week, leaving government forces encircled and leading to a significant deterioration in the city's humanitarian situation, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) reported. Access for people, basic supplies, and humanitarian goods has been severely restricted, causing prices for essential items to spiral.
Residents described experiencing nights of terror due to continuous bombardment, with streets empty the following mornings. The IOM's Head of Programmes in Aden, Katja Juric, stated that a small bottle of water now costs up to $4 and that prices for available basic commodities have risen significantly. People are reportedly rushing to buy and stockpile goods in anticipation of a prolonged conflict and further supply disruptions.
Taiz, a major theater in the conflict between the Houthis and the Saudi-backed government, has an estimated population of almost 600,000. Government sources indicated that 80,000 people have fled the latest fighting.
In response to the escalating pressure, Yemen's internationally recognized government launched a campaign to recapture Houthi-controlled areas, including ground near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. Government forces reported targeting Houthi fighters and equipment in Dabab and Misrakh on Tuesday. Military sources noted fighting near Taiz, with government forces regrouping within the city after withdrawing from surrounding areas.
Analysts suggest the heavy shelling and siege indicate increasing pressure on Taiz, which holds strategic value due to its overlooking position of the coastline and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, and its history as a bastion of resistance against the Houthis.