Siege fuels disease fears in Yemen’s Taiz
Health officials in Yemen warn that an apparent drop in reported disease cases in the besieged city of Taiz conceals a mounting humanitarian catastrophe. The crisis escalated in early October when Houthi forces tightened their blockade around nearly two million residents, cutting off the last major supply route into government-held areas and blocking food, clean water, medicines, and fuel. The human toll was highlighted by the death of an infant, Gaza Ali Abdulmughni al-Shaqab, who died after Houthi fighters fired on the vehicle transporting her along mountain roads for emergency treatment.
Human Rights Watch warned that the blockade may amount to the war crime of using starvation as a method of warfare. The World Food Programme has been unable to reach over 600,000 people facing emergency hunger, while UN OCHA reported that nearly 250,000 residents have lost basic healthcare access, leaving 12 hospitals at risk of closure. Although local health authorities recorded 5,642 infections over four weeks—including 5,228 cases of acute watery diarrhoea, 232 of suspected dengue, and 182 of cholera—Dr Yasin Abdulmalik cautioned that the decline in logged numbers is deceptive. Road closures and surging fuel prices prevent sick residents from traveling, leaving more than double that figure unable to reach medical help.
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