A crippling siege imposed by the Houthis around the southern Yemeni city of Taiz has now entered its second month, severely impacting hundreds of thousands of civilians and drawing repeated warnings from the United Nations regarding an escalating catastrophe. Local resident Ahmed al-Mikhlafi and his family found themselves stranded in the countryside after returning from a pilgrimage in Mecca, unable to re-enter the city where their home and livelihood are located as armed clashes cut off all major access routes.

The blockade, which began with the seizure of surrounding towns, has completely encircled Taiz and affected an estimated 1.5 million residents alongside roughly 180,000 displaced persons trapped by ongoing skirmishes. Salah Ahmed Ghaleb al-Majidi, the acting director of the governorate's Siege Affairs Department, described the situation as the worst catastrophic blockade witnessed by any Yemeni city since the conflict escalated in 2014. Essential supplies such as food, fuel, and medical shipments are largely blocked, while uncollected rubbish piles up on city streets due to the inability to reach external landfills.

The severe restrictions on movement have also triggered skyrocketing transportation costs, with fares tripling and placing an unbearable burden on lower-income families. Furthermore, the local healthcare system is reportedly near collapse, with hospital admissions dropping by up to 70 percent amid acute shortages of fuel and medical supplies. Chronically ill residents and journalists requiring urgent overseas treatment remain trapped inside the city, with critical exit points entirely controlled by Houthi checkpoints.

Source: www.aljazeera.com