Besieged Yemeni city on verge of ‘unmanageable’ crisis, aid workers warn

A besieged city is surrounded or cut off during fighting. People inside cannot reliably receive food, fuel, water, medicine, or other essentials. They may also be unable to leave for safety or medical treatment. This matters because civilian survival depends on access, not only on whether fighting is happening nearby.

In Taiz, Iran-allied Houthi forces have largely encircled a city of more than 900,000 people. Oxfam staff said all main entrances were blocked. No fuel had entered for two or three weeks, while water, food, and medicines were becoming scarce. Wounded people could not be transferred out because of the blockade.

The siege has made ordinary markets unable to meet basic needs. Prices have surged, hospitals are struggling, and garbage is piling up because waste cannot be moved outside. The UN has called for humanitarian access, but the article reports no sign that either side is ready for a ceasefire.

Taiz has more than 900,000 residents, and the Halo Trust said hundreds of thousands of civilians were trapped inside. The article does not give exact quantities for the city’s remaining water, fuel, food, or medicines. However, aid workers describe shortages severe enough to threaten survival across the city.

No fuel had entered for two or three weeks. Drinking water had become a massive problem, and even aid workers struggled to buy it. The World Food Programme said wheat-flour reserves were nearly exhausted in mid-October. Fresh fruit and basic commodities were difficult or impossible to find, while hospitals lacked medicines.

The shortages are worsened by blocked roads and continuing clashes. Petrol rose from about $20 to $80 for a 20-litre container, and potato prices doubled. Without access, residents face hunger, dehydration, untreated injuries, and disease, while hospitals cannot reliably provide care or move wounded people elsewhere.

Taiz has strategic importance in Yemen’s civil war, according to the article. It also has a large population and strong resistance inside the city. That resistance may consume Houthi resources and weaken the group’s response elsewhere. The article does not provide a more specific explanation of Taiz’s strategic value.

Iran-allied Houthi forces largely encircle Taiz and hold much of the pressure around its supply routes. Forces loyal to Yemen’s internationally recognised government oppose the Houthis. The Saudi-led coalition supports the government side and has carried out airstrikes against Houthi-held positions.

The conflict intensified after government-aligned forces and the coalition attacked the Houthi-held airport in Sana’a. Fighting then raged around Taiz’s old airport, damaging a densely populated residential area. The blockade and continued clashes have trapped civilians, while both sides remain unwilling to accept a ceasefire.

The 2022 ceasefire reduced fighting by largely stopping the conflict’s active violence. That pause mattered because fewer attacks allowed civilians and aid systems some relief from the war’s immediate pressures. It did not create a permanent settlement, however, and the article reports that the truce was later shattered.

The breakdown followed airstrikes launched in July by forces loyal to the internationally recognised government and the Saudi-led coalition. Their targets included the Houthi-held airport in Sana’a. Afterward, fighting intensified, including heavy clashes around Taiz’s old airport and extensive damage in a densely populated residential area.

The renewed conflict has restored siege conditions in Taiz. Entrances are blocked, supplies are running out, and wounded people cannot be transferred. UN diplomats continue mediating, but neither the Houthis nor the government appears ready for another ceasefire or a long-term settlement.

Cutting off a city turns the basic systems civilians rely on into emergency lifelines. Food and water become scarce, fuel prices rise, and hospitals cannot replace medicines or equipment. People with money may still go hungry if markets are empty or roads are blocked. Wounded civilians face extra danger when evacuation routes close.

In Taiz, Oxfam reported that hospitals were struggling without medicines and that wounded people could not be transferred out. Petrol cost about $80 for 20 litres, compared with $20 before the crisis. Potato prices doubled, wheat-flour reserves were nearly exhausted, and residents could not find fresh fruit or basic goods.

The effects spread beyond immediate injuries. Garbage was piling up because waste could not be moved outside, and residents were trying to burn it. Oxfam warned that hunger, lack of water, missile injuries, and possible disease could cause casualties across the city if access remains blocked.

Yemen’s humanitarian response is severely underfunded. Donor countries have subscribed to only 23% of the UN humanitarian relief programme’s cost for this year. That leaves aid agencies trying to meet enormous needs with a small share of the money requested. The gap matters because access, food, water, health care, and emergency protection all require sustained funding.

The United Kingdom allocated £104m annually for the next three years, down from £196m in 2020. US aid has been virtually wiped out, while Germany has halved its programme. Oxfam has moved limited resources from development work into emergency operations, including cash transfers.

Aid organisations therefore face difficult choices while needs worsen. Saudi Arabia is under pressure to cover more of the shortfall, despite the cost of the war. Without greater funding and access to Taiz, shortages, untreated injuries, hunger, and disease risks are likely to deepen.

Armed conflict becomes a public-health crisis when it destroys the systems that keep communities safe. Clean water prevents contamination, fuel supports pumping and transport, food protects people from malnutrition, and waste collection removes potential sources of infection. When these services fail together, illness can spread while hospitals are least able to respond.

In Taiz, drinking water was a massive problem, and even Oxfam staff struggled to buy it. No fuel had entered for two or three weeks. Garbage was piling up because waste could not be transferred outside, so residents were trying to burn it. Hospitals were also struggling without medicines.

Oxfam said disease such as cholera could be anticipated if the situation continued. The danger is not limited to people injured by missiles. If access remains blocked, lack of water, hunger, unmanaged waste, and weak medical care could produce casualties across the city.