Taiz governorate in Yemen is experiencing a severe humanitarian crisis amid an intensified military campaign by Houthi forces, according to recent reports from local monitors and human rights organizations. Since early September, the Houthi group’s escalated shelling, siege tactics, and restrictions have heavily impacted civilians, causing widespread casualties, displacement, and destruction.
Between September 1 and October 22, the Yemeni Network for Rights and Freedoms documented nearly 1,900 violations attributed to Houthi forces in Taiz. These included frequent shelling, sniper attacks, abductions, and raids on civilian homes. During this period, approximately 213 projectiles were reportedly launched into residential neighborhoods daily, with a total of nearly 9,900 fired overall. The cities and villages most affected include Kahlan, Al-Shaqb, and the old airport district.
The group attributed to the monitoring network reported 212 civilian deaths during this timeframe, including 38 children and 27 women. Injuries were recorded in 319 cases, encompassing 29 children and 46 women. The report also noted 23 field executions and five massacres, along with 314 instances of abduction and enforced disappearances, some involving children used as leverage against their families. Additionally, 516 private homes were raided by Houthi forces in search of suspected government affiliates. Infrastructure damage was extensive, with 356 homes affected—98 destroyed and three demolished entirely.
The Houthi siege, intensified since September 3, has involved establishing at least 26 illegal checkpoints and blockades that prevent the flow of essential goods and humanitarian aid. Authorities and rights groups have accused the Houthis of obstructing food, medicine, fuel, oxygen, and drinking water supplies into Taiz. Relief convoys and commercial shipments, including medications for chronic illnesses and vaccines for children, have faced repeated blockage. Critical shortages of fuel for hospital generators, cancer treatment centers, and kidney dialysis units have heightened risks to patient lives. The crisis has forced an estimated 280,000 residents to flee their homes.
Furthermore, the Houthis reportedly repurposed five schools as detention centers and makeshift surgical facilities. The Yemeni Network for Rights and Freedoms called for Taiz to be declared a disaster zone, urging an immediate end to hostilities, lifting of the siege, reopening of roads, and guaranteed humanitarian access.
In response, Yemeni government forces have escalated military operations against Houthi positions in and around Taiz. The Yemeni Armed Forces’ spokesperson, Majed Al-Nuzaili, confirmed recent strikes on a command-and-control center and two tanks located within the abandoned Sofitel Hotel in Taiz. The Houthis had reportedly used the site as a base to launch attacks targeting civilians, and the strike aimed to disrupt these operations. Government troops have made advances in southern Taiz, engaging in ongoing clashes with Houthi reinforcements in the Al-Shaqb and Al-Kahlan districts. The conflict shows no immediate signs of abating, as both sides continue to vie for control in the region.