October 18, 2026
The Yemeni city of Taiz is approaching an unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe, as a result of the worsening crisis of food, fuel, medicine, and water shortages, coinciding with the escalation of armed confrontations and the continuation of the siege imposed on the city, which threatens the lives of more than 2.5 million civilians, including about 140,000 displaced people.
In a statement issued on the occasion of World Food Day, which falls on October 16, the “Rasd for Rights and Freedoms” organization warned of an imminent disaster in Taiz as a result of the siege imposed by the Houthis, and the accompanying prevention of the entry of food and vital supplies. The organization explained that the closure of roads and ports and the decline in the flow of basic goods led to Taiz topping the list of Yemeni governorates in terms of food insecurity rates, followed by Al-Hudaydah, Hajjah, and Al-Mahwit.
In light of the widening gap between increasing humanitarian needs and the declining ability to meet them, local authorities in Taiz launched an urgent appeal to secure basic food supplies for the population. According to data from the World Food Program and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), about 18.3 million people in Yemen suffer from severe food insecurity, while about 2.2 million children under the age of five face acute malnutrition, including nearly 500,000 children suffering from severe acute malnutrition.
These developments come in the context of an ongoing humanitarian crisis that has afflicted the country since the outbreak of war in 2014, the severity of which has doubled as a result of the economic collapse, waves of displacement, rising prices, and a decline in sources of income and agricultural production, as well as a severe interruption in humanitarian funding. The continued ban on the entry of petroleum derivatives and water, in addition to the continuous bombing that targeted civilian areas during the past days, resulted in civilian casualties, including women and children.
At the conclusion of its report, the Monitoring Organization called on the United Nations, the international community, and donors to take urgent action to put pressure on lifting the restrictions imposed on Taiz, opening roads, and ensuring unhindered access to humanitarian and medical aid. It also stressed the need to increase humanitarian funding, strengthen nutrition and food security programs, and support livelihoods and agricultural production to protect civilians from the catastrophic repercussions of the ongoing escalation.
