DUBAI: The EU and Yemen’s internationally recognized government have called on Houthi militias to lift their siege of Taiz, warning that worsening humanitarian conditions threaten millions of people.
“We are following the situation in Taiz with grave concern and call on the Houthis to lift their siege of the city and allow food, water, medicine and fuel to enter,” the EU said in a statement posted on X on Wednesday.
The bloc stressed the need to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure and ensure humanitarian partners can deliver essential aid.
Yemen government appeals to UN
Yemen’s Foreign Minister Afrah Al-Zouba on Wednesday urged the UN and Security Council to take urgent action to end the siege, warning that the latest Houthi escalation threatened to trigger a large-scale humanitarian catastrophe.
In a letter addressed to senior UN officials and the president of the International Committee of the Red Cross, Al-Zouba said the tightening of the siege on Taiz and surrounding villages threatens more than 4 million people.
Those affected include residents trapped inside the city and people displaced from districts including Al-Shamayatayn, Al-Mawasit and Jabal Habashi, she said.
Al-Zouba called for international pressure to secure the immediate lifting of the siege, reopen all access routes into Taiz and ensure the sustained delivery of food, fuel and drinking water.
She also urged for the stronger monitoring and documentation of alleged violations, alongside measures to ensure those responsible are held to account.
Calls for concrete international action
Al-Zouba urged the international community to take a clear position against practices that deprive civilians of basic necessities or use humanitarian needs as a means of exerting pressure.
“The gravity of the current situation in Taiz, and the direct threat it poses to civilians’ lives, dignity and fundamental rights, requires urgent international action that goes beyond expressions of concern to concrete and practical measures to end the siege, restore the flow of essential supplies, protect civilian facilities and prevent the humanitarian catastrophe from worsening,” she said.
The Yemeni government said it remained committed to working with the UN, humanitarian and human rights organizations, and regional and international partners to alleviate civilian suffering and ensure aid reaches those in need.