Virtual symposium on lifting the siege on the city of Taiz and efforts toward building peace.

After more than Seven years since the Houthi militias’ coup against the state and state institutions of Yemen and against the democratic process of the National Dialogue Conference, Yemenis all over the country continue struggling to live amidst such suffering and agony resulted out of violations and atrocities perpetrated by the Houthis of which the siege on the city Of Taiz is a vivid example. The recent exerted efforts led by Hans Grundberg, the United Nations special envoy (UNSP) to Yemen to renew the truce for another two months is supposed to “deliver on easing the suffering of the people of Taiz,” as he stated. Yet, the Houthis’ intransigence to respond to the proposal of lifting the siege on Taiz continue which was clearly indicated by the UNSP to Yemen in his recent briefing to the UNSC in which he declared how encouraged he was by the positive response by the government of Yemen to the UN proposal to this regard; UNSP is still waiting for a response from the Houthis. It is cause for concern how the people of Taiz under the siege can persist to be resilient and carry the burden of the suffering while it remains clear that the Houthis continue to solely view any alleviating of the suffering of the people from a political gain perspective. What is the real situation in the besieged Taiz? What are the repercussions of the Houthis siege on Taiz? how can lifiting the siege contribute to building peace? What is the role of the civil society actors to this end?