Yemen’s Taiz under deadly siege as death toll climbs in Shabwah

The United Nations warned on Tuesday that the siege of Taiz has cut off humanitarian supplies, leaving many residents without food or essential items. UN Human Rights chief Volker Turk said the Houthi forces, also known as Ansar Allah, must allow relief aid to enter immediately or risk a catastrophe.

“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,” Turk said. “Humanitarian aid must be immediately allowed to enter the city and its passage must be facilitated. Civilians wishing to leave must be allowed to do so freely and safely.”

Taiz, which has faced repeated sieges during the war, is again encircled after the Houthis captured a major road that connects the city with southern Yemen. Prices for basic goods have surged and shortages are worsening. Between August 1 and October 19, at least 32 civilians, including 14 children, were killed in fighting across the governorate, and officials fear the death toll could rise further. Turk urged all parties to refrain from using explosive weapons with wide‑area effects in populated areas and to take every feasible precaution to protect civilians and civilian objects.

The internationally recognised Yemeni government has asked the United Nations to intervene and lift the blockade, warning that the siege threatens more than four million people. The UN World Food Programme reported that shifting front lines and road closures have cut off aid to 800,000 people, most of them in Taiz, while over 18 million Yemenis nationwide face severe food insecurity.

On Monday, forces loyal to the recognised government carried out air strikes in Taiz governorate that destroyed Houthi reinforcements in Najd Qasim and a weapons depot in Jabal Habashi. The government said its troops halted Houthi attempts to advance across Taiz, including in al‑Shaqab, al‑Misrakh, al‑Aqroudh and Jabal Han.

In Shabwah, local authorities raised the death toll from a recent Houthi attack on a military base to 73. The Yemeni government condemned Monday’s Houthi ballistic missile strike on al‑Alam camp as a “treacherous bloody assault” and a war crime. President Rashad al‑Alimi formally asked the UN to designate the Houthis as a terrorist organization.

The United Kingdom announced it will deploy Typhoon fighter jets to help protect Saudi Arabia from Houthi attacks, stating the aircraft will play a defensive role only and will not conduct offensive missions in Yemen. Egypt’s parliament delayed a vote to authorize military support for Saudi Arabia in its fight against the Houthis.

Ali al‑Dahab, an expert on military and security strategy, said there appears to be growing international backing for the anti‑Houthi alliance, but this is unlikely to translate into ground troops in Yemen. “The probability of international ground forces engaging to confront the Houthis seems slim; expected participation will be limited to air and naval support,” he told Al Jazeera.

The Yemeni military launched a broad offensive called “Dawn of Yemen” on October 5 to push back recent Houthi gains. Early air strikes reportedly killed hundreds of Houthi fighters, but al‑Dahab cautioned that the shift from defence to offence remains limited and the government’s control in al‑Marib has not expanded as the operation’s name suggests. He urged government forces to exploit gaps created by conventional and drone strikes and to launch a multi‑directional operation toward the north‑west, aiming for a strategic shift toward Sanaa.

Intensified ground battles have sparked a series of cross‑border attacks between the Houthis and Saudi Arabia. The Saudi‑led coalition said it intercepted and destroyed a Houthi ballistic missile aimed at Riyadh, prompting the Saudi Civil Defence to activate early‑warning systems across the capital. Over the past week the coalition has carried out multiple strikes on Houthi positions throughout Yemen. Al‑Dahab noted that strategic aerial attrition can have a tangible impact on the Houthis’ military infrastructure, vehicles and equipment.