Taiz hospitals near collapse as Houthis tighten siege: Yemen government

What the report says

Yemen’s internationally recognised government says health services in Taiz are nearing collapse as Houthi forces tighten a siege around the southwestern city and block essential supplies. In a statement reported by Al Jazeera, the Ministry of Public Health and Population warned that medicines, intravenous fluids, medical supplies and fuel at local facilities are close to running out, raising the risk that emergency care, surgery, intensive care, dialysis and neonatal treatment could be interrupted.

The ministry said the shortages could leave patients, injured people, pregnant women and newborns in immediate danger. It also warned that fuel scarcity could disrupt generators, ambulances and cold-storage systems needed to keep medicines and vaccines usable. The government called for the siege to be lifted, supply routes to reopen and safe passage for patients, health workers and aid deliveries. It also urged the United Nations and humanitarian agencies to send medicines, oxygen and fuel to the city.

Al Jazeera said the renewed pressure on Taiz follows recent fighting in Taiz governorate. The Houthis, who control much of northern Yemen, seized nearby areas and cut key access routes, while government forces backed by Saudi Arabia launched a counteroffensive. Local official Nabil Jamil told Al Jazeera that the current blockade is broader and more damaging than the siege Taiz experienced in 2015. He said about 2.8 million people live in government-held parts of the governorate, alongside roughly 200,000 newly displaced people.

The report adds that shortages have already driven up fuel prices sharply on the black market, underscoring how the conflict continues to strain Yemen’s fragile health system and civilian life.