Yemen’s Human Rights Ministry warned on Monday of the consequences of the Houthis tightening the siege on the city of Taiz, following attacks in surrounding areas and their control of a road linking the city to supply routes leading to other governorates. According to a ministry statement, this brought traffic to a halt and disrupted the delivery of food shipments to residents.
Ministry denies Taiz roads have been opened
The ministry condemned the Houthis’ continued promotion of claims that the roads had been opened, saying that attacks, control of supply routes and their closure to residents and shipments were still continuing. It stressed that such claims did not change the reality of the siege or absolve the group of responsibility for its humanitarian and living consequences.
It added that the opening of roads should be measured by the availability of safe freedom of movement and the actual delivery of supplies to residents, stressing that these rights must not be subjected to pressure or blackmail. It said that control and closure of the road were worsening the effects of the siege endured by Taiz residents for twelve years.
Road disruption threatens food and healthcare
According to the ministry, the road disruption threatens to worsen shortages of food, medicine and fuel inside the city, while also obstructing the delivery of supplies to markets and vital facilities. It said movement restrictions were also hampering the transfer of patients for treatment outside Taiz, exposing critical cases to direct danger and increasing the living burdens on families exhausted by years of war and siege.
The statement cited an appeal issued by the governor of Taiz on the eleventh of October, as well as health warnings that medicines, medical supplies and fuel were close to running out. The ministry said the situation could no longer tolerate delays in responding, given the impact of disrupted supplies on the health sector’s ability to continue providing its essential and life-saving services.
Warnings of a halt to health services
It warned that the continuing crisis threatened emergency services, surgical operations, intensive care, dialysis and neonatal units. It added that patients, the wounded, pregnant women and newborns faced risks that could be avoided by securing urgent needs and ensuring their access to healthcare.
The ministry held the Houthis and their leaders responsible for tightening the siege and closing supply routes, and for the resulting danger to civilians’ lives and deprivation of food, medicine and healthcare. It stressed that protecting civilians, ensuring access to their basic needs and safeguarding the safety of patients, medical staff and health facilities were non-negotiable obligations, and that depriving residents of the necessities of life could not be justified on military or political grounds.
The Human Rights Ministry called on the United Nations and international humanitarian and rights organisations to provide an urgent response proportionate to the seriousness of the situation. It urged the international community to exert effective pressure to lift the siege and ensure the safe and sustained delivery of humanitarian aid.
It identified the priorities as delivering life-saving supplies, ensuring the continued operation of health facilities and vital services, and translating humanitarian appeals into tangible measures that reach residents and reduce the dangers they face.
The ministry said it would continue monitoring violations linked to the siege and documenting their impact on civilians, while following up with the relevant authorities in support of protection and accountability efforts. It reiterated that the situation in Taiz required urgent measures to ensure the delivery of basic needs and the continuation of life-saving services.
