Yemeni government calls for urgent international action to lift Houthi militia siege on Taiz
The Yemeni government has urged the UN and Security Council to lift the siege on Taiz, warning of a humanitarian catastrophe threatening four million people
Translated by Qiyas from كونا — Original source
Aden, October 14 (KUNA) -- The Yemeni government called on the United Nations and the UN Security Council today, Wednesday, to take urgent steps to lift the blockade imposed by Houthi militias on the city of Taiz, warning of a humanitarian catastrophe threatening more than four million residents.
The Yemeni News Agency reported that this appeal was contained in a letter addressed by Yemeni Foreign Minister Afrah al-Zoubi to UN Secretary-General António Guterres, the President of the UN Security Council, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, the President of the International Committee of the Red Cross, and the UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, regarding the deterioration of the humanitarian situation in Taiz Governorate due to the escalation of Houthi militia actions.
Al-Zoubi warned that tightening the siege on Taiz and villages in the governorate threatens the besieged population within the city and internally displaced persons from affected directorates, including Al-Shamaytain, Al-Mawassit, and Jabal Habashi, in the southern and western countryside of the governorate.
She called for direct international pressure to lift the blockade, open Taiz’s crossings for civilians and supplies, and ensure the sustainable and unimpeded delivery of food, fuel, and drinking water.
She also urged strengthening monitoring, documentation, and accountability mechanisms, preserving evidence of violations, holding perpetrators accountable, and ensuring they do not escape justice.
Al-Zoubi emphasized the necessity of adopting a clear international stance against practices that deprive civilians of basic necessities or use their humanitarian needs as a means of pressure and to impose fait accompli.
She reiterated Yemen’s commitment to cooperating with the United Nations, its specialized agencies, humanitarian and human rights organizations, and regional and international partners, by providing available data and information and facilitating humanitarian response efforts to alleviate the suffering of the population, protect civilians, and ensure aid reaches its intended beneficiaries.
She stressed that the severity of the situation in Taiz, which poses a direct threat to the lives, dignity, and fundamental rights of civilians, necessitates urgent international action that goes beyond expressing concern to taking practical measures to end the blockade, restore the flow of essential supplies, protect civilian infrastructure, and prevent the escalation of the humanitarian catastrophe. (End) S.N.S. / H.S.S.
