US official: Houthis block food and fuel from hospitals in Taiz

Khaled Wolfsberg, spokesperson for the US Embassy in Yemen, accused the Houthi militia of using claims of a blockade to justify attacks on Yemenis and Saudi Arabia, noting that the group is imposing a siege on the city of Taiz and preventing the delivery of food, fuel, and essential supplies to its residents.

Wolfsberg cited data showing that 272 commercial ships unloaded their cargo at the ports of Hodeidah, Al-Salif, and Ras Issa between January and September 2026, in response to Houthi allegations regarding a blockade.

Conversely, the US spokesperson accused the group of blocking food and fuel from reaching hospitals and water stations in Taiz, describing the situation faced by the city's residents as a real siege.

Wolfsberg said: "The only real blockade is the one cruelly imposed by the militia on Taiz by preventing the entry of food and essential supplies for citizens."

The US official described the Houthi claims of a blockade as baseless, saying the group uses these allegations to justify attacks on Yemenis and Saudi Arabia.