Yemenupdated 1h ago3 min read
Houthis Surround Taiz, Cut Humanitarian Supplies, UN Warns of Catastrophe
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Houthis surround Taiz, block humanitarian relief entering the city, UN warns. Seventy-three killed in Houthi strike on al-Alam camp in Shabwa; hundreds wounded.
Taiz siege, aid blocked
The Houthis surrounded Taiz and cut the humanitarian supplies to the Yemeni city, leaving many inhabitants without food and other essentials, the United Nations warned. UN Human Rights Chief Volker Turk told the Houthis, also known as Ansar Allah, that they must immediately allow humanitarian relief to enter or risk a catastrophe. The UN high commissioner said, "The Houthis’ closure of the only supply route linking Taiz to Aden is placing civilians at grave risk, blocking humanitarian aid and cutting off essential supplies," and the warning tied the blockade to the risk of catastrophe.
The Al Jazeera report said the humanitarian situation in Taiz was reaching a breaking point as the prices of basic commodities multiplied and shortages of some goods intensified. Al Jazeera also reported that Yemen’s internationally recognised government appealed to the United Nations to intervene and lift the blockade, warning that the Houthi siege threatens more than 4 million people.
Shabwa camp strike toll
Houthi missile strikes on a security training center in Yemen’s southern Shabwa province killed 73 people and left 14 others missing, provincial governor Awad bin al-Wazir said Tuesday. Bin al-Wazir condemned the attack as an unprecedented crime and directed local authorities to continue monitoring the conditions of the injured and support the families of those killed and missing. The BBC reported that the Houthis launched three ballistic missiles at al-Alam camp near Ataq city, which was being used as a training centre for recruits to the security forces and police.
The BBC also said Shabwa’s media office raised the death toll to 73 and reported another 14 individuals missing, after earlier reporting put the figure at 53 killed and 200 injured. The Anadolu Ajansı account said the Houthis did not immediately comment on the reported attack, while a Yemeni military spokesperson said the Houthis fired three ballistic missiles at the facility being used to train security and police personnel.
Escalation risks widen
The Al Jazeera report said continued fighting in Taiz governorate killed at least 32 civilians between August 1 and October 19, including 14 children, and it warned that there were fears of more deaths as fighting approached the city. The same Al Jazeera account said Yemen’s internationally recognised government launched air strikes in Taiz governorate that destroyed Houthi reinforcements in Najd Qasim and a weapons depot in Jabal Habashi, while the Yemeni government said its forces stopped Houthi attempts to advance across Taiz. In Shabwa, the BBC reported that Information Minister Moammar al-Eryani said the attack constituted a war crime because the internal security forces training centre was not a military target.
The BBC also quoted Moammar al-Eryani accusing the Houthis of "attempting to fabricate a false media victory, boost the morale of its collapsing elements, and cover up the defeats and setbacks it is suffering across various combat axes". The Al Jazeera report added that the UN World Food Programme warned shifting front lines and road closures cut off 800,000 people from life-saving assistance, the vast majority located in Taiz, while nationwide more than 18 million Yemenis face severe food insecurity.