Yemenupdated 44m ago2 min read
Houthis Encircle Yemen’s Taiz, Cutting Supplies and Fuel as Food Runs Out
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Houthis encircle Taiz, severing the last lifeline linking city to government-held areas. Food and fuel shortages worsen; UN warns wheat, flour could run out in weeks.
7 outlets told this the same way.
Taiz siege tightens
Houthi rebels encircled Yemen’s city of Taiz, and the siege cut off supplies from government-held areas after the rebels completed it on Oct. 4.
The UN warned wheat and flour could run out in less than three weeks as fuel becomes scarce and residents struggle to feed their families.
Weam Abdullah told The Associated Press from a province further south that “We already feel dead, there was already despair” in the city.
Shaif al-Gabiri said residents were collecting cardboard and wood for cooking and that “If the siege continues, then these stocks will run out.”
Food, fuel, and health
The UN’s Stéphane Dujarric stressed on Tuesday that the parties must “refrain from direct attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure” as Taiz’s food prices rose and cooking gas became largely unavailable. The UN reported that Yemen has seen 8,034 suspected cholera cases and 27 deaths this year, with a quarter of them occurring in the last four weeks.
Dr Annette Heinzelmann said, “Without urgent funding and unimpeded access to safe water, vaccination and essential health services, outbreaks could spread rapidly among already vulnerable communities.” The WHO found that approximately 500 health facilities across nine affected governorates lack partner support, and the agency said its 90-day emergency response needs $31 million and has received just $4.3 million.
Aid cuts and casualties
The UN Spokesperson said Taiz is facing a “devastating” humanitarian crisis as escalating tensions drive up food prices and cause shortages of supplies. The UN reported that since August, 200,000 people have been displaced, and it said the surge in cholera is linked to disrupted health services and overcrowded shelters with inadequate access to safe water.
The WHO said vaccination coverage is at an estimated 45 per cent for each of the two recommended doses, and it warned that this low coverage increases the risk of outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases. The UN said health facilities are struggling to keep up with the growing disease burden as it described a critically underfunded 90-day emergency response and called for urgent funding and unimpeded access.