Yemen war continues to force families from homes amid hunger and disease
“The Houthis’ closure of the only supply route linking Taiz to Aden is placing civilians at grave risk, blocking humanitarian aid and cutting off essential supplies,” said UN human rights chief Volker Türk.
In an appeal to Houthi fighters who he said had encircled Taiz City to allow aid in immediately, the High Commissioner for Human Rights noted that 32 civilians have been confirmed killed across the governorate, including 14 children and nine women. He warned of a significant uptick in the risk of death and injury as fighting moves closer to densely populated areas of the city.
The development follows the resumption last month of clashes between Houthi fighters – formally known as Ansar Allah – and the internationally recognized Government based in Aden, ending the relative calm brought about by the 2022 truce.
The situation in Taiz is particularly worrying because around half of those recently uprooted by the violence have sought shelter there.
‘An ocean of concerns’
“Taiz is certainly the number one concern at the moment in an ocean of concerns,” said Akhil Iyer, United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Representative in Yemen.
“Many people have fled repeatedly. They are arriving in already overcrowded camps or communities with little or no food. Clean water is almost non-existent when they arrive. They’ve literally arrived with just the clothes on their backs, and they have almost nothing left to sustain themselves.”
According to the UN World Food Programme (WFP), wheat flour stocks in affected areas of Taiz are nearly exhausted.
“This is an alarming development in a governorate that already faces some of Yemen’s highest levels of food insecurity,” with 10 out of 16 districts already classified at emergency levels, Mr. Iyer stressed.
Briefing journalists from Aden, the UNICEF official described the deteriorating situation in conflict-affected areas, where “garbage is piling up – particularly in Taiz city – as sanitation services come to a halt”.
The ongoing hostilities have made it extremely difficult and dangerous for humanitarian agencies to reach vulnerable communities and deliver fuel and other necessities.
Health emergency
The result could be an even more acute health emergency in a country already facing outbreaks of cholera and measles, along with suspected cases of diphtheria and dengue.
“We are very worried about the water and sanitation situation in Taiz because diesel fuel is essential to run pumping stations in and around the city. Supplies have been threatened by the lack of access and the blockage of supply routes, particularly from Aden to Taiz city,” Mr. Iyer explained.
He noted that although UNICEF had pre-positioned enough ready-to-use therapeutic food before the conflict escalated early last month, the supplies could not be distributed to health facilities because “all of the routes are closed”.
“We’re calling on all parties to protect children and civilians, safeguard water systems and health facilities, and uphold their obligations under international humanitarian law. That includes allowing humanitarian actors access.”
Oxygen running out
World Health Organization (WHO) spokesperson Tarik Jasarevic reported that 12 hospitals in Taiz had approximately four days of fuel remaining. The oxygen cylinders they require are in “daily deficit”, while 115 of 127 essential medicines have sufficient stocks for about one week or less, he said.
Matthew Saltmarsh, spokesperson for the UN refugee agency (UNHCR), stressed that access problems were preventing aid teams from reaching those most in need, although protection activities continued “where access allows”.
“Let’s not forget that there are some 65,000 refugees and asylum-seekers who are also urgently in need of support; most are from Somalia and Ethiopia,” he added.
