Taiz Yemen Crisis: Governor Warns of Severe Shortages

The Houthis are trying to send the Yemeni city of Taiz “back to the stone age”, the city’s governor has warned, describing a rapidly deteriorating humanitarian situation under a month-long siege.

In a briefing aimed at urging the international community to take stronger action, Governor Nabil Shamsan said civilians were facing severe shortages of food, water and medical supplies. He also reported massacres, increasing displacement and the breakdown of essential services across the city.

According to Shamsan, oxygen and water supplies were running out, while rubbish was accumulating in the streets because landfill sites were either full or inaccessible. He said the conditions had become so difficult that residents were struggling simply to survive.

Water Supplies Fall Far Below Daily Requirements

Water shortages have become one of the most pressing problems for Taiz. Shamsan estimated that the city requires approximately 35,000 cubic metres of water every day to meet its minimum needs.

However, he said no more than 1,000 cubic metres was being allowed to enter the city daily. Water shipments were reportedly being stopped at Houthi roadblocks surrounding Taiz, preventing supplies from reaching residents.

The difference between the city’s estimated daily requirement and the amount reaching it highlights the scale of the reported shortage. With access restricted, households and essential services are facing increasing difficulties securing sufficient water.

Food Shortages and Rising Wheat Prices Deepen Crisis

Food stocks in Taiz have been depleted, while the price of wheat has soared, according to the governor. The shortage of fuel has added another challenge, forcing restaurants to close.

Shamsan described the situation as a collapse in basic living conditions, warning that residents were being pushed towards an existence without reliable access to essential goods and services.

“Citizens are heading back to the stone age,” he said, referring to the combined impact of food shortages, limited water supplies and the breakdown of everyday services.

Hospitals and Schools Struggle as Medical Supplies Run Low

The shortage of essential supplies has also affected healthcare facilities. Shamsan said as many as 1,800 people required dialysis treatment but were unable to access the necessary supplies.

He added that 120 health centres had been suspended, further reducing access to medical care for people living in the city.

Schools have also closed, affecting hundreds of thousands of children. The disruption to education adds another dimension to the Humanitarian Crisis, as families face growing uncertainty over access to basic services.

The reported shortage of oxygen is particularly concerning for medical facilities that depend on reliable supplies to treat patients. Shamsan warned that the city’s healthcare system was struggling under the pressure of the siege.

64 People Killed and More Than 6,400 Families Displaced

Shamsan said 64 people, including civilians, had been killed between August and October 20, 2026. A further 173 people were injured during the same period.

The fighting has also forced thousands of families to seek refuge in Taiz. According to the governor, more than 6,400 newly displaced families had arrived in the city after fleeing violence elsewhere.

Each displaced family had an average of seven members, placing additional pressure on an urban population already struggling with shortages of food, water and medical supplies.

The growing number of displaced residents has increased the demand for essential services at a time when access to basic resources is already severely restricted.

“We are not talking about living, just surviving,” Shamsan said.

Houthis Reject Claims That Taiz Is Under Siege

The governor’s account contradicts statements made by Houthi leader Abdul-Malik Badr al-Din al-Houthi, who denied that the city was under siege and said humanitarian supplies could enter.

Al-Houthi stated:

“The way is open for food, medicine, and humanitarian aid to enter the city and even for Saudi-backed groups to do so. Anyone who wants to verify that there is no siege on the city of Taiz can go to the city and see.”

Shamsan disputed this account, saying Houthi forces maintained an almost complete grip on the roads leading into Taiz. He alleged that roadblocks were preventing essential supplies from reaching the city.

According to the governor, the group had presented the more than 800,000 people inside Taiz with a stark choice: “either to leave or to die”.

The conflicting accounts highlight the dispute over access to the city and the conditions facing its residents. While the Houthi leader said the roads remained open to humanitarian assistance, Shamsan insisted that restrictions on movement were preventing supplies from entering.

Governor Accuses Houthis of Targeting Yemen’s Identity

Beyond the military confrontation, Shamsan accused the Houthis of pursuing a broader effort to change Yemen’s social, religious and cultural identity in areas under their control.

He argued that the group’s actions went beyond a conventional military campaign, describing them as an attempt to reshape communities through changes in religious leadership and education.

According to Shamsan, villages captured by Houthi forces were being taken over by new religious leaders, while educational and religious curricula were being altered.

He described the campaign as follows:

“This is not a military war but a war of vengeance.”

The governor also alleged that people in occupied territories were being required to demonstrate loyalty to the Zaydi religion and sign forms confirming that they had joined the Houthis.

“They are not starting a war but an revolution in identity,” he said.

Shamsan further alleged that scores of children from each village were being forcibly ordered to join fighting on the frontlines in Saada and elsewhere without their parents’ consent.

Communication Networks Disrupted as Shelling Intensifies

The security situation inside Taiz has also affected communication between the city and surrounding rural areas. Shamsan said shelling had become more frequent and that communication links between urban and rural communities had broken down.

He alleged that Houthi forces had taken control of mobile networks and were sending messages to residents urging them to end their resistance. He also claimed that conversations were being monitored.

Describing the mobile network situation, Shamsan said communications were “completely disrupted”. He added that he was speaking from a location only two to five kilometres from the frontlines.

The disruption has made it more difficult for residents to communicate and for information to move between the city and surrounding areas. The governor was reluctant to disclose details about the military campaign but warned that the fighting and restrictions were continuing to affect daily life.

Human Rights Watch Raises Alarm Over Civilian Conditions

Independent organisations have also expressed concern about the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Taiz. Niku Jafarnia, a Yemen researcher at Human Rights Watch, criticised renewed efforts to restrict access to essential supplies.

Jafarnia said:

“Renewed efforts by the Houthis to cut off food, water, and medicine to Taiz show their utter disregard for civilian lives.”

She also referred to the longer history of restrictions affecting the city, stating:

“Throughout the 12-year-long siege of Taiz, the Houthis have bombed, starved and denied humanitarian aid to a million residents of the city with scant adherence to international law.”

Her remarks underline concerns that the latest restrictions are part of a prolonged humanitarian crisis rather than an isolated disruption. The reported shortages of food, water and medicine have added to the difficulties faced by civilians over years of conflict.

Taiz Governor Calls for Humanitarian Access

Shamsan has called on the international community to move beyond statements of solidarity and help secure practical access for humanitarian organisations.

He said the people of Taiz would continue to resist, but argued that expressions of support would not be enough to address the worsening conditions. What the city urgently needed, he said, was access for aid agencies, including the United Nations, to deliver essential supplies.

The governor’s appeal centres on restoring the movement of food, water, medicine and other humanitarian assistance into the city. With healthcare facilities suspended, schools closed and thousands of displaced families seeking shelter, access to relief supplies has become an immediate concern.

A Humanitarian Crisis Amid Yemen’s Continuing Conflict

The situation described by Taiz’s governor points to a crisis affecting almost every aspect of civilian life. Water supplies are reportedly far below daily requirements, food stocks have been depleted, medical services are struggling and communication networks have been disrupted.

The arrival of more than 6,400 displaced families has added pressure to an already strained city, while reported deaths and injuries reflect the continuing danger faced by residents.

The competing accounts from the Houthi leadership and Taiz’s governor also underline the dispute over whether humanitarian routes into the city are genuinely accessible. Independent agencies have raised concerns about restrictions on essential supplies and the impact of the prolonged siege on civilians.

For residents of Taiz, the immediate challenge remains access to basic necessities and protection from the continuing violence. Shamsan’s appeal to the international community is focused on ensuring that humanitarian organisations can reach the city and deliver assistance to people facing increasingly desperate conditions.