The Arab League has warned of a fast-deteriorating humanitarian crisis in the Yemeni city of Taiz. Officials pointed to severe restrictions imposed by the Houthi movement as the main driver behind the suffering.
Said Abu Bakr Fahmy, an Arab League official, voiced concern about plummeting health conditions in the embattled province. Hospitals across Taiz are grappling with acute shortages of fuel, oxygen, essential medicines, and medical supplies.
Fahmy warned that these shortages threaten to shut down critical hospital departments. The disruption directly endangers the operation of incubators for newborn and premature babies.
He stated that the continued obstruction of supplies directly imperils the lives of patients and children. Depriving civilians of basic medical care and humanitarian assistance is completely unacceptable.
Saving lives cannot be delayed or subjected to any political or military calculations, Fahmy told reporters. He explicitly held the Houthis responsible for the severe humanitarian consequences of these restrictions.
The Arab League called for safe passage routes for patients and medical staff. The bloc also demanded formal investigations into violations and accountability for anyone obstructing aid or terrorizing civilians.
International humanitarian organizations were urged to act swiftly to secure fuel, oxygen, and medicine for local hospitals. Officials stressed the need to ensure safe, sustained, and unhindered delivery of these supplies.
On Wednesday, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs echoed these concerns. OCHA warned of worsening conditions in Taiz city driven by disrupted supply routes and mounting pressure on basic services.
Roads leading into the city from areas controlled by the internationally recognised government remain closed due to fighting. These closures continue to block the delivery of commercial goods and life-saving aid.
The province is hosting roughly 140,000 displaced people who arrived since early August. This figure accounts for over forty percent of the 330,000 people displaced across Yemen during the same timeframe, according to UN data.
This escalation forms part of a broader military surge that began in July. The fighting is the most extensive since a period of relative calm following a truce that started in April 2022.
