Taiz, Oct 22:
Two teenage girls were killed and six people wounded when Iran-backed Houthi rebels attacked a residential area in Yemen’s third-largest city, Taiz, on Tuesday, intensifying concerns over the safety of civilians trapped in the besieged city.
The attack came as United Nations human rights chief Volker Türk warned that civilians in Taiz were at grave risk. The Houthis have largely encircled the strategically important city in southwestern Yemen, cutting off most supply routes and leaving residents struggling to obtain food and other essential supplies as prices rise.
The latest attack followed a Houthi strike on a government military camp on Monday that killed 73 recruits, according to a senior Yemeni government official. It was described as the deadliest attack since fighting intensified over the summer.
Heavy fighting between Houthi forces and troops loyal to Yemen’s internationally recognised government has caused extensive damage in densely populated parts of Taiz. Residents have reported the destruction of homes and growing uncertainty over their safety.
Zainab Ali, a resident who returned after the attack to find her house destroyed, described the plight of her family, saying they did not know what to do after losing their home.
The conflict escalated after forces supporting Yemen’s internationally recognised government and the Saudi-led coalition launched airstrikes on Sanaa International Airport, which is controlled by the Houthis, in July. The strikes shattered a 2022 ceasefire that had largely halted fighting in the country’s civil war.
The Houthis have renewed their offensive in recent months and repeatedly targeted government forces around Taiz with missiles and artillery. Their advance followed the capture of the port city of Mokha, an important location for controlling shipping routes through the Red Sea.
Yemen has also become increasingly connected to the wider regional conflict involving Iran. The Houthis have stepped up attacks on Saudi Arabia, which supports the internationally recognised Yemeni government. Britain has announced an expansion of its military support for Saudi Arabia, including defensive air patrols by Royal Air Force jets.
Yemeni government forces claimed they had thwarted Houthi attacks in several areas around Taiz and killed dozens of fighters. The claim could not be independently verified, and the Houthis did not immediately comment.
Türk called on all parties to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure. He urged that humanitarian aid be allowed into Taiz without delay and that civilians wishing to leave the city be permitted to do so safely and freely.
The continuing siege has raised fears of a wider humanitarian emergency, with shortages of basic necessities and rising prices adding to the hardships faced by residents.