Taiz governor warns of collapse

Governor Nabil Shamsan stated that Yemeni forces are attempting to return Taiz to the stone age as the city enters its second month under siege. He described a situation where basic supplies are vanishing and infrastructure is failing, urging the international community to intervene immediately to lift the blockade surrounding the metropolis.

Shamsan provided specific figures on the resource gap during his briefing. He noted that Taiz requires approximately 35,000 cubic meters of water per day, yet Houthi roadblocks currently allow no more than 1,000 cubic meters to enter. This reduction has left residents with insufficient hydration and forced restaurants to close due to a lack of fuel. Food stocks are depleted, and wheat prices have surged, prompting the governor to describe the current conditions as a retreat to pre-modern survival.

The strain on public services is evident across the city. Shamsan reported that 1,800 patients require dialysis but cannot access necessary supplies, while 120 health centers have suspended operations. Schools have closed, leaving hundreds of thousands of children without education. Between August 1 and October 20, 64 people were killed, including civilians, and 173 others were injured. More than 6,400 newly displaced families, averaging seven members each, have fled into the city to escape fighting in other areas.

Houthi leader Abdul-Malik Badr al-Din al-Houthi disputed the governor's account. He claimed the route for food, medicine, and humanitarian aid remains open, including for groups backed by Saudi Arabia. Al-Houthi invited observers to Taiz to verify that no siege exists, a claim Shamsan countered by stating that Houthi forces hold a near-total grip on the roads. The governor said the group has told the more than 800,000 residents inside the city that they must either leave or die.

Shamsan characterized the conflict as a battle to alter Yemen's identity rather than a purely military engagement. He accused Houthi forces of installing new religious leaders in captured villages and changing educational curricula. Residents in occupied territories are being required to sign forms affirming loyalty to the Zaydi religion. The governor said scores of children are being ordered to join frontlines in Saada without parental consent, calling it a revolution in identity and a war of vengeance.

Niku Jafarnia, a Yemen researcher at Human Rights Watch, agreed that life inside Taiz is deteriorating rapidly. She stated that the renewed efforts to cut off essential supplies show a disregard for civilian lives. Jafarnia noted that throughout the 12-year siege, the Houthis have bombed and starved a million residents with little adherence to international law. Shamsan said he was speaking from a location 2 to 5 kilometers from the frontlines, where mobile networks are controlled by Houthi forces and communication with rural areas has broken down.

The governor said shelling of the city is becoming more frequent. He stated that the people of Taiz would resist until the end, but that statements of solidarity are insufficient. He said the city needs physical access for aid agencies, including the United Nations, to deliver supplies to the population.