Yemen’s internationally recognized government has issued a stark warning regarding an “imminent health and humanitarian catastrophe” in Taiz, a southwestern city currently under intensifying blockade by Houthi forces. The Ministry of Public Health and Population stated on Saturday that critical resources, including medicines, intravenous fluids, medical supplies, and fuel, are rapidly approaching zero at the city’s healthcare facilities.
According to the ministry, the continued obstruction of essential supplies could force the suspension of emergency care, surgical procedures, intensive care units, dialysis, and neonatal services. These disruptions would place patients, injured individuals, pregnant women, and newborns at immediate risk. The shortage of fuel further threatens electricity generators, ambulances, and the cold chains necessary to preserve vaccines and medications, potentially leading to severe complications and preventable deaths.
The ministry demanded the immediate lifting of the siege and the reopening of supply routes, calling for safe passage for patients, medical personnel, and aid workers. It urged the United Nations and humanitarian organizations to deliver urgent medical and fuel assistance. “Every delay increases the risk of service interruption and loss of life,” the statement read.
The renewed siege took shape in early October following a Houthi offensive along the Red Sea coast of the Taiz governorate in September. After capturing the port city of Mocha, Houthi fighters seized the town of At Turbah by October 4, effectively severing the last main road connecting Taiz city with other areas held by the Yemeni government.
Nabil Jamil, director-general of the Yemeni government’s planning and development office in Taiz, told Al Jazeera that the current blockade is “more comprehensive and its impact more severe than in 2015.” He noted that approximately 2.8 million people reside in government-held parts of the governorate, alongside 200,000 recently displaced individuals.
Scarcity has driven fuel prices to skyrocket on the black market. A 20-litre container of petrol has surged from 30,000 Yemeni riyals ($19) to 90,000 riyals ($58). Jamil expressed frustration over the lack of external support, stating, “We are still waiting for a response or intervention on the ground.”
The reference to 2015 is chilling. It feels like history repeating itself while the world watches helplessly.
Wait, did it say if any aid convoys have actually been allowed through yet, or is that still blocked too?
How many more warnings does it take before the international community actually intervenes? Silence is complicity here.
This is absolutely heartbreaking. Those fuel prices alone show how desperate people are getting for basic needs.