Yemen Rights Ministry Warns of Worsening Water Crisis in Taiz Amid Continued Houthi Restrictions
- 2026-10-26
- 18:00:14
TAIZ— Yemen's Ministry of Human Rights on Monday warned of a deepening drinking water crisis in the city of Taiz, accusing the Houthi movement of continuing to block water supplies from the Al-Dabab basin and exposing water transport routes to shelling, a situation it said threatens to worsen the city's humanitarian and public health conditions.
In a statement, the ministry said the water crisis has deteriorated significantly in recent weeks due to ongoing measures that hinder the delivery of water supplies into the city.
It added that workers involved in transporting water face constant risks from attacks and shelling, limiting their ability to deliver water to residential neighborhoods and increasing the hardship faced by residents seeking access to safe drinking water.
The ministry warned that the continued disruption of water supplies, coupled with what it described as a tightened siege and the closure of supply routes, is pushing Taiz toward a more severe humanitarian emergency. It noted that declining availability of essential goods, rising prices, and the reduced ability of families to meet basic needs have further aggravated living conditions.
According to the statement, the shortage of clean water could trigger serious health and humanitarian consequences if the situation persists, particularly among vulnerable groups, including children, the elderly, and displaced families.
The warning came as government forces reportedly targeted a hotel being used as a Houthi command center in Taiz, highlighting the continued military escalation in and around the city.
The ministry said the water crisis forms part of a broader deterioration in humanitarian conditions across Taiz, citing ongoing shelling, attacks on civilian infrastructure, and obstacles to the delivery of food, medicine, and fuel. It added that Houthi attacks in the city and surrounding areas have resulted in more than 250 civilian casualties, including both deaths and injuries.