Yemen’s Taiz Faces Another Siege As Fighting Cuts Off Food And Fuel

Taiz, one of Yemen’s most populous urban centres, is facing renewed siege conditions as clashes between Houthi forces and government troops intensify around the city, threatening access to essential supplies and escape routes. The UN has warned of worsening conditions for civilians, while the World Food Programme (WFP) reports rising food prices and disruptions to humanitarian deliveries.

Roads Cut Off

UN Special Envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg said in a statement earlier last week that his office had received reports of casualties, infrastructure damage and road closures in Taiz governorate, affecting people’s ability to leave the area.

“I am alarmed by developments in Taiz governorate, where fighting has significantly intensified,” Grundberg said, warning that Houthi military operations posed grave risks to civilians. He called on the group to halt its offensive and urged all parties to ensure safe movement for civilians and unhindered humanitarian access.

At Friday’s UN Security Council briefing, Grundberg said Yemen had slid back into full-scale war, with fighting spreading across multiple fronts. Clashes have continued in the highlands west and south of Taiz city and across neighbouring Lahj governorate, while fighting has also intensified in Marib, Al-Jawf and Hajjah.

The UN has also warned that military operations around Taiz threaten vital supply routes. The United Kingdom’s representative at the Security Council said Houthi forces continued to besiege civilians in the city and place pressure on routes needed to bring in supplies.

Food Prices Rise

The renewed fighting is worsening an already severe food crisis. WFP said earlier last week that 74% of households in the areas it monitors were unable to meet their basic food needs, the highest level recorded this year.

In parts of Taiz, wheat flour prices rose by 10% in just two weeks, while traders estimated that available wheat stocks would cover only about two months of demand. Disruptions to vegetable oil supplies have added further pressure on food prices, the agency said.

Across Yemen, 18.3 million people face acute food insecurity, including 2.2 million children under five who are acutely malnourished. WFP warned that continuing fighting and disrupted transport routes were making it harder to deliver food to frontline communities.

Yemen’s Ministry of Economy and Industry’s September 17 local-market price bulletin also recorded weekly increases of 11% in petrol prices and 21% in diesel prices. The figures were not specific to Taiz, but illustrate the wider pressure on fuel costs.

Aid Under Pressure

The humanitarian crisis is compounded by displacement and limited funding. More than 200,000 people have been displaced across Yemen since the beginning of August, according to the UN’s humanitarian briefing to the Security Council on Friday. Many have fled to communities already struggling with food insecurity and overstretched public services.

WFP said fighting had cut off access to parts of Taiz and Hodeidah, preventing the agency and its partners from reaching approximately 350,000 people. It has assisted more than 70,000 people in the displacement hotspots of Taiz and Lahj, but warned that dwindling relief stocks and funding shortages could create further gaps in assistance.

The renewed siege conditions in Taiz are unfolding as Yemen’s broader conflict escalates. Grundberg told the Security Council that battlefield gains cannot substitute for negotiations and called for a credible political process to prevent the conflict from becoming a permanent reality for the country’s population.