Taiz hospitals near collapse as Houthis tighten siege: Yemen government

Live updates

1. 1h ago

   Taiz Hospitals Nearing Collapse as Houthi Siege Tightens

   Yemen's internationally recognized government warns of an imminent health and humanitarian catastrophe in Taiz, the country's third-largest city, as a renewed Houthi blockade pushes local hospitals toward total collapse. The Ministry of Public Health and Population reported that supplies of medicines, intravenous fluids, medical necessities, and fuel are nearly depleted, threatening to halt critical operations in emergency care, surgery, dialysis, and neonatal units. Houthi advances and the sealing of essential roads into the southwestern city have simultaneously provoked steep increases in food and fuel prices.

   Why it matters

   The mounting crisis in Taiz unfolds amid a broader military escalation across Yemen, where the internationally recognized government has announced a major offensive to reclaim Houthi territory and advanced near the Bab al-Mandab strait. The tightening blockade revives memories of earlier sieges that trapped civilians and crippled local infrastructure during the prolonged civil war. As fighting intensifies, families are attempting to flee the city amid mounting fear and uncertainty.

   What is confirmed

   • Yemen's internationally recognized government warned of an imminent health and humanitarian catastrophe in Taiz due to a Houthi blockade.
   • The Ministry of Public Health and Population stated that medicines, intravenous fluids, medical supplies, and fuel at health facilities are nearly exhausted.
   • Houthi advances and the closure of vital roads into Taiz have triggered shortages and rising food and fuel prices.
   • The Yemen government announced a major operation to retake Houthi territory and reported advancing around the Bab al-Mandab strait.

   Still unconfirmed

   • Yemeni government fighters were recorded driving vehicles over Houthi opponents.

   What to watch next

   • Emergency humanitarian corridors opening to allow medical supplies and fuel into Taiz hospitals
   • Further territorial shifts in the ongoing government military operation near the Bab al-Mandab strait
   • International diplomatic or military responses to the worsening humanitarian crisis and regional escalation
   Sources used for this update (19)

   1. BBC — Yemen government announces major operation to retake Houthi territory
   2. Reuters — Yemeni government fighters recorded driving vehicles over Houthi opponents
   3. The New York Times — How the Houthis Triumphed on the Red Sea and Sparked a New War in Yemen
   4. The Guardian — Yemen civil war: what sparked latest escalation and who is involved?
   5. Al Jazeera — Iran war live: 12 killed in Riyadh, US weighs joining fight against Houthis
   6. www.aljazeera.com — Yemen’s Taiz under siege again as food and fuel prices rise | Conflict News | Al Jazeera
   7. Al Jazeera — Taiz hospitals near collapse as Houthis tighten siege: Yemen government
   8. The Times of Israel — Yemeni forces said advancing near Bab el-Mandeb Strait; 63 said killed in Houthi clashes
   9. France 24 — Yemen says advancing against Houthis around key Bab al-Mandab strait
   10. Al Jazeera — Fear and uncertainty for civilians as Yemen’s capital comes under attack
   11. Sky News — Middle East latest: Take action against Houthis, Yemen's leader tells countries like UK condemning Saudi airport strikes
   12. Al Jazeera — Yemeni government’s military says its forces advancing against Houthis
   confidence 95%