As Houthis approach Yemen's Taiz locals flee fear of another siege

Capturing a town near Taiz means the Houthis gain control of a strategically placed settlement and its roads. Largely encircling Taiz means they control or threaten most routes around the city, leaving residents with few safe connections to government-held areas. This matters because Taiz has more than 1 million residents.

The article gives a clear example. On Oct. 4, the Houthis captured Turbah, about 40 kilometers south of Taiz. That move closed important roads and surrounded Taiz along with a pocket of government-held territory. Alternative mountain routes were also closed, causing confusion and panic.

The result is pressure on civilians and pro-government forces. Residents rushed to buy food, while diesel and cooking gas ran low. People feared another siege like the earlier one. Government forces are fighting in the mountains southwest of Taiz, trying to break the rebels’ hold.

More than 1 million people live in Taiz, according to the article. That makes any military advance around the city a major civilian emergency, not simply a battle over territory. Residents depend on outside routes for essential supplies and for reaching hospitals in safer areas.

The danger is already visible. Crowds filled groceries to buy food and other necessities. Diesel fuel and cooking gas were running low. Some people collected cardboard and wood for cooking, while merchants raised food and water prices. Earlier in the war, blocked roads caused power cuts, food shortages, and long journeys to hospitals in Aden.

The advance could worsen those problems quickly. The Houthis captured Turbah, closed routes, and largely surrounded Taiz. Families such as Weam Abdullah’s fled before conditions deteriorated further. If the siege continues, local stocks may run out, putting civilians at greater risk.

A siege cuts or threatens the routes that bring daily necessities into a city. Food stocks shrink, prices rise, and families search for substitutes. Fuel shortages can stop generators, water pumps, transport, and cooking systems. Medical care becomes harder when ambulances, patients, medicines, and staff cannot move safely.

Taiz shows how these pressures combine. Residents crowded groceries and merchants raised food and water prices. Diesel and cooking gas ran low. Some people gathered cardboard and wood for cooking. During the earlier siege, power cuts were frequent, food was difficult to find, and reaching hospitals in Aden took hours over mountain roads.

The current encirclement could repeat that crisis. The Houthis captured Turbah and closed some alternative routes, while fighting continued around the city. Residents fear supplies will run out if the siege lasts. Government forces are trying to break the rebels’ hold, but the article gives no indication that access has been restored.

Mountain roads matter because Taiz is surrounded by rugged highlands and controlled routes are limited. During much of the war, Houthi forces blocked the city’s main roads. The remaining paths to government-held areas were steep, winding back roads. They carried supplies and allowed people to reach hospitals in Aden.

These routes are difficult even when open. Bringing goods into Taiz or taking patients out could take hours. After the Houthis captured Turbah, about 40 kilometers south of the city, some main and alternative routes closed. Officials reported confusion and panic among residents trying to understand how to leave.

Closing the roads creates two dangers at once. It slows or stops supplies entering, while making civilian escape and medical evacuation harder. The article says pro-government forces are fighting in the mountains southwest of Taiz to break the rebels’ hold. Until routes reopen, shortages and isolation may deepen.

The article describes the Houthis as Iran-backed rebels who seized northern Yemen and much of the west, including Sanaa, in 2014. Pro-government forces fight them on behalf of the internationally recognized government, which was forced to flee south. Saudi Arabia later entered the war at the head of a coalition backing that government.

The conflict is shown through control of territory and access. The Houthis surrounded Taiz, captured the Red Sea port city of Mocha and strategic islands, and later seized Turbah. Pro-government forces are now fighting in the mountains southwest of Taiz. These moves affect roads, ports, supplies, and civilian safety.

The article presents the war as a struggle for control in Yemen’s 12-year civil war. It does not fully explain each group’s political program or all wider causes. Its immediate focus is Taiz, where military advances threaten to recreate a siege and further divide government- and Houthi-held areas.

Taiz matters because it is a strategic gateway to southern Yemen. The city sits in rugged southwestern mountains between areas held by opposing forces. Control around it can influence roads, supply lines, and access toward the southern port city of Aden. That makes Taiz important beyond its own neighborhoods.

Its wartime geography has made movement difficult. Houthi forces surrounded much of the city and blocked main roads. Supplies and hospital patients had to use steep, winding mountain back roads. When the Houthis captured Turbah south of Taiz, they largely encircled the city and closed more routes. This shows how nearby towns can affect access to Taiz.

Taiz also has deep historical importance. It was the capital of several Islamic dynasties and a major center of religious learning. Al-Qahira Castle overlooks it, while Mount Sabir rises to more than 3,000 meters. Military control therefore threatens a major population center and a key cultural crossroads.

Modern cities depend on linked systems, not only on buildings. Transport brings in food, fuel, medicines, and spare parts. Fuel powers water pumps, generators, vehicles, and cooking equipment. If roads close, these systems weaken together. Markets receive fewer goods, prices rise, and hospitals struggle to move patients or obtain supplies.

Taiz provides a concrete example. Residents said diesel and cooking gas were running low, and there was no diesel to operate water pumps. Some people collected cardboard and wood for cooking. During the earlier siege, power cuts were frequent, food was scarce, and reaching hospitals in Aden took hours because roads were blocked.

The current advance threatens to repeat those effects. The Houthis captured Turbah and closed major and alternative routes around Taiz. If local stocks run out, shortages could worsen across food, water, fuel, and medical care. Fighting in the surrounding mountains may determine whether access is restored.