Yemeni government urges UN action to lift Houthi siege on Taiz

Yemen's government has called on the United Nations and the UN Security Council to take urgent and effective measures to lift the severe blockade imposed by Houthi forces on the city of Taiz, warning that the situation threatens a large-scale humanitarian disaster.

The appeal came in a letter sent Wednesday by Yemeni Foreign Minister Dr. Afrah Al-Zouba to the UN Secretary-General, the President of the Security Council, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, the President of the International Committee of the Red Cross, and the UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, addressing the serious deterioration of humanitarian conditions in Taiz due to the escalation by the Houthis.

The minister warned that the recent escalation and tightening of the siege on Taiz and its surrounding villages could trigger a humanitarian catastrophe affecting more than 4 million people, including those trapped inside the city and displaced residents from affected districts such as Al-Shamayatayn, Al-Mawasit, and Jabal Habashi.