Mapping the siege of Yemen’s Taiz, and the price families are paying

What the report says

Al Jazeera reports that Taiz, Yemen’s third-largest city, has been increasingly cut off by fighting and road closures, leaving residents struggling with sharply higher prices and shrinking access to basic services. The article says the city lost its main land routes in early October 2026, after Houthi forces took al-Turbah and government-aligned forces closed the eastern al-Houban crossing, disrupting movement of goods and people.

Residents described severe pressure on daily life. Families interviewed in Taiz said they are reducing meals, relying on firewood because cooking gas is unaffordable or unavailable, and coping with lost work and reduced mobility. The report says food and fuel prices more than doubled, fuel stations have been closed since October 5, and water costs have also risen sharply. Bus fares have increased as well, adding to the burden on households already struggling with rent, food and medical expenses.

The article highlights wider humanitarian consequences beyond the home. Schools have been affected by shelling and insecurity, leaving some children out of class, while hospitals face shortages of fuel, oxygen, medicine and medical supplies. One patient with kidney failure was described as sleeping in a dialysis hall because she could not afford housing near the hospital. Al Jazeera says the siege is worsening an already fragile urban crisis in a city of about 1 million people, with aid and essential services under growing strain.