The Ministry of Human Rights warns of the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Taiz city as the terrorist Houthi militias continue to tighten their siege and cut off supplies to residents, amid rising civilian casualties and the near depletion of food supplies, medicines, and fuel. The Ministry affirms that the continuation of this situation threatens to cause a humanitarian catastrophe for which the militias and their leaders bear responsibility, requiring urgent action to save the population and ensure access to their basic needs.
The Ministry indicates that Houthi attacks in Taiz city and its surrounding areas have resulted in more than 250 civilians killed or injured as a result of shelling targeting homes and civilian objects, sniper attacks, and the targeting of ambulances by the Houthi militias. It stresses that continued shelling and the closure of supply routes are exacerbating the suffering of residents and obstructing the evacuation of the wounded, the transportation of patients, and the provision of food, medicine, and water.
The Ministry particularly warns of the worsening drinking water crisis in recent weeks due to the Houthi militias preventing water supplies from reaching the city from the Al-Dhabab Basin and exposing water transportation routes to shelling, thereby endangering the safety of water transport workers and obstructing deliveries to residential neighborhoods. This coincides with rising fuel prices and shortages of resources needed to operate water facilities and transport water, further aggravating a crisis that has persisted since 2015, making access to safe drinking water increasingly difficult and costly for families and increasing the risk of disease outbreaks.
The Ministry also warns that the city’s hospitals are at risk of ceasing operations as medicines, medical supplies, and the fuel needed to operate them approach depletion. Continued disruption of supplies threatens to suspend emergency services, surgical operations, intensive care, dialysis, and neonatal incubator services, placing the lives of patients, the wounded, pregnant women, and newborns at immediate risk at a time when the need for healthcare is increasing.
The Ministry affirms that the continued siege, coupled with dwindling supplies and rising prices, is exhausting families’ ability to secure food and meet their daily needs, further exacerbating the suffering of the most vulnerable groups. It stresses that preventing access to water, food, medicine, and fuel undermines the basic necessities of life, and that any discussion of reopening roads is meaningless unless residents and supplies are able to pass through safely, effectively, and sustainably.
The Ministry holds the terrorist Houthi militias and their leaders responsible for the casualties and humanitarian harm resulting from the continued siege, shelling, and obstruction of supplies. It demands an immediate cessation of these attacks, the lifting of the siege, the reopening and securing of supply routes, guaranteed access to drinking water, food supplies, medicines, and fuel, and the facilitation of civilian movement, evacuation of the wounded, and transportation of patients without obstruction.
The Ministry calls on the United Nations and the international community to take urgent action and exert effective pressure to halt the deterioration of the situation. It also calls on humanitarian organizations to strengthen their response to provide drinking water, food, medical supplies, and fuel for hospitals and water facilities. The Ministry affirms that saving the residents of Taiz requires tangible measures that reach them immediately, and that every delay increases the risks and threatens further loss of life.
The Ministry of Human Rights continues to monitor violations, document the impact of the siege on civilians, coordinate with the relevant authorities to update casualty figures and humanitarian needs, and follow up with the relevant international mechanisms in support of protection and accountability efforts.
Issued by: Ministry of Human Rights
Aden | 26 October 2026
