Human Rights Watch Warns of Worsening Humanitarian Crisis in Taiz Due to Houthi Siege

Human Rights Watch reported on Thursday that the humanitarian crisis in Taiz, Yemen’s third-largest city, has deteriorated sharply since October 2026, as Houthi forces tightened their blockade and severed critical supply routes, resulting in severe shortages of food, fuel, medicine, and potable water.

Taiz has been under a Houthi-imposed siege since 2015, with government-aligned forces controlling the city center while Houthi forces maintain control over the surrounding access routes. Although international law does not categorically prohibit sieges as a military tactic, the organization noted that the Houthi blockade has obstructed the delivery of essential goods and civilian movement for twelve years, potentially constituting a war crime by using starvation as a method of warfare.

Niku Jafarnia, a researcher on Yemen and Bahrain at Human Rights Watch, stated that the renewed efforts by the Houthis to restrict life-sustaining resources in Taiz demonstrate a blatant disregard for civilian lives. She noted that the decade-long siege has impacted one million people through continuous shelling and the denial of humanitarian aid. While the Houthi militia denies responsibility for the road closures and blames government forces, testimonials from residents and United Nations officials identify the Houthi blockade as the primary obstacle.

The World Food Programme has warned that more than 600,000 people in Taiz are facing severe food insecurity as wheat flour stocks deplete and local market supplies dwindle. Furthermore, fuel shortages have crippled water pumping stations and increased transportation costs, causing water production in the city to drop by half and threatening a total collapse of essential public services.

The healthcare system in Taiz is also on the brink of collapse, according to medical personnel and humanitarian workers. A critical lack of diesel has forced hospitals to suspend operations, while severe shortages of anesthesia, oxygen cylinders, and surgical supplies have hindered emergency care. Patients suffering from chronic illnesses face immense difficulty accessing medical centers due to road closures and the exorbitant costs associated with navigating alternative routes.

Human Rights Watch emphasized that all parties to the conflict must adhere to international humanitarian law, which mandates the facilitation of humanitarian aid and the protection of civilian movement. The organization has called on the Houthi militia to immediately lift restrictions on vital roads to allow the entry of food, fuel, and medicine, warning that using the starvation of civilians as a weapon of war is a grave violation that warrants legal accountability.