Houthi siege forces families into school shelters as fighting engulfs Taiz

Houthi fighters have surrounded Taiz, severing the southern highway and intensifying a siege that forces residents such as Ali Hassan to hide under a school stairwell. The conflict, part of a broader regional war, has left the city of nearly 600,000 people without reliable food, water or electricity. Local witnesses describe escalating prices, fuel shortages and accumulating garbage as the blockade tightens.

Aid officials say displaced families are living in unsuitable structures, with no proper camps available. The World Health Organization reports that twelve hospitals have only a few days of fuel left and face critical shortages of oxygen and medicines. The situation underscores the humanitarian fallout of a renewed fighting front that could shape the war's future trajectory.