Taiz aid access demanded by UN amid Houthi siege

The United Nations demanded immediate humanitarian access to Yemen's Taiz on Tuesday, warning that Houthi fighters' closure of the city's supply route to Aden was putting civilians at grave risk.

UN human rights chief Volker Turk said aid must be allowed into the city and its passage must be facilitated to avert a rights catastrophe.

“The Houthis' closure of the only supply route linking Taiz to Aden is placing civilians at grave risk, blocking humanitarian aid and cutting off essential supplies,” Turk said.

Houthi fighters have encircled Taiz since early October, blocking the road to Aden, the interim capital of Yemen's Saudi-backed, internationally recognised government.

Turk said the encirclement had sent commodity prices soaring and left many people without food and other basic necessities. His office also cited restrictions on safe access to water and essential goods.

Turk's office said it had verified that 32 civilians were killed across Taiz governorate between August 1 and October 19, including nine women and 14 children. It said 115 civilians were injured, including 34 women and 36 children.

Turk warned that the risk to civilians would increase as fighting moved closer to densely populated parts of the city. He urged all parties to avoid using explosive weapons with wide-area effects in populated areas and to take feasible precautions to protect civilians.

He also renewed a call for the Houthis to release UN and other NGO staff who are arbitrarily detained and to disclose the whereabouts of those held incommunicado. The UN said about 70 of its employees were still being held by the Houthis as of mid-October.