Human Rights Watch (HRW) has reported that Houthi forces besieging the Yemeni city of Taiz are systematically depriving civilians of food, water and medicine. The organization said the humanitarian crisis in Yemen's third-largest city has deteriorated sharply since October 2026.
HRW noted that Houthis have maintained a siege on Taiz since 2015, severely restricting civilians' freedom of movement and blocking the delivery of essential supplies. The blockade has caused acute shortages of fuel, food, drinking water, medicine and cooking gas, while humanitarian organizations face heavy restrictions on access to the city.
Niku Jafarnia, HRW's researcher on Yemen and Bahrain, stated: "The Houthis' renewed efforts to cut off food, water and medicine to Taiz show a complete disregard for civilian life. Throughout years of siege, they have bombed, starved and cut off aid to one million people with no regard for international law."
The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) warned on October 14 that more than 600,000 people in need in Taiz could not be reached and that wheat flour stocks were nearly exhausted. UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) spokesperson Jens Laerke said on October 23 that the blockade had been in place for 20 consecutive days, affecting supplies of water, fuel and medicine.
Yemen's civil war began after Iran-backed Houthis seized the capital Sanaa and several strategic provinces in September 2014. A Saudi-led Arab coalition has backed the internationally recognized government since March 2015, while fighting has escalated in recent months. The Houthis have continued to target Saudi territory with ballistic missiles and drones in response to coalition operations. Yemen's Ministry of Health has also called for a 90-day emergency health and epidemic response plan for the besieged Taiz province.
