Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Official Web Site
ADEN — The Yemeni government on Wednesday called on the United Nations and the UN Security Council to take urgent and effective action to lift the suffocating siege imposed by the Houthi militia on the city of Taiz, warning that the situation risks developing into a large-scale humanitarian catastrophe.
The appeal came in a letter sent by Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Dr Afrah Al-Zouba to the UN Secretary-General, 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, addressing the serious deterioration of the humanitarian situation in Taiz Governorate amid the latest Houthi escalation.
The Foreign Minister warned that the recent Houthi escalation and tightening of the siege on Taiz and surrounding villages could trigger a humanitarian catastrophe affecting more than four million people, including residents trapped inside the city and those displaced from affected districts such as Al-Shamayatayn, Al-Mawasit and Jabal Habashi.
The letter called for direct international pressure to secure the immediate lifting of the siege, reopen all access routes into and out of Taiz for civilians and supply chains, and ensure sustained and unhindered access to food, fuel and drinking water. It also called for stronger monitoring, documentation and accountability mechanisms to preserve evidence of violations, hold perpetrators accountable and prevent impunity.
The government urged the international community to take a clear position against any practices aimed at depriving civilians of the essentials of life or using their humanitarian needs as a means of pressure or to impose a fait accompli.
The Yemeni government reaffirmed its commitment to cooperating with the United Nations and its specialized agencies, humanitarian and human rights organizations, and regional and international partners. It also pledged to provide relevant data and information and facilitate humanitarian response efforts to help alleviate civilian suffering, protect the population and ensure that assistance reaches those in need.
“The gravity of the current situation in Taiz, and the direct threat it poses to the lives, dignity and fundamental rights of civilians, requires urgent international action that goes beyond expressions of concern,” the Foreign Minister said.
She called for “practical and tangible measures to end the siege, restore the flow of essential supplies, protect civilian infrastructure and prevent the humanitarian catastrophe from worsening.”