Humanitarian conditions in Taiz, Yemen’s third-largest city, are worsening sharply amid a renewed siege by Houthi rebel forces, according to multiple aid agencies and international organizations. The Iranian-backed Houthis have fully encircled the city, cutting off crucial supplies and access for residents, aid groups said Thursday.

Human Rights Watch (HRW) described the situation as dire, highlighting severe shortages of food, fuel, water, medicine, and cooking gas. “Renewed efforts by the Houthis to cut off food, water, and medicine to [Taiz] show their utter disregard for civilian lives,” said Niku Jafarnia, a Yemen expert at HRW. The group urged the Houthis to immediately allow humanitarian imports and deliveries to alleviate mounting civilian suffering.

The siege represents a sharp escalation after partial access roads to Taiz had been reopened in 2024. Residents now report a full blockade as Houthi forces renew offensive operations, effectively isolating the city. Taiz has been under some form of Houthi siege since 2015, contributing to protracted humanitarian crises and widespread displacement.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has identified Taiz province as a critical hotspot amid a cholera outbreak affecting Yemen. The province hosts approximately 126,000 internally displaced people—nearly half of the nation’s estimated 276,000 displaced population as of late October. WHO reports warn that unsanitary conditions, unsafe water supplies, disrupted waste disposal, and overcrowded shelters are fueling risks of communicable diseases.

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) expressed particular concern over the water crisis in Taiz. Jens Laerke, OCHA spokesperson, noted that many residents rely on trucked-in drinking water, but dwindling fuel supplies have caused water production to drop by half in recent weeks. The scarcity has driven the price of delivered water to triple, compounding hardships for the population.

Although the WHO confirmed that some medical supplies have reached Taiz, others remain stuck in warehouses in the southern port city of Aden due to restricted and unsafe transport routes. The combined impact of the siege and ongoing conflict continues to hinder effective humanitarian response, placing the civilian population under increasing strain.

Humanitarian organizations are calling on all parties to the conflict to guarantee safe and sustained access for aid deliveries to prevent a deepening crisis in Taiz, where millions remain caught in the crossfire amid Yemen’s long-running civil war.