Taiz Families Ration Water to 2.5 Liters a Day Amid Tightening Houthi Siege
Bottled water costs up to 75% more as fuel shortages and blocked roads cut off supply lines to Yemen's third-largest city.
By Rafael Esposito ·
Residents of Taiz are stretching ten liters of bottled water to last four days, a stark reduction from their previous daily usage. Hadil al-Shahid, who has two young children, said her family stopped drinking coffee and tea to make the limited supply last. The price of bottled water has risen by as much as 75% in just a few weeks, forcing some households to buy on credit.
The shortage is driven by a Houthi siege that has cut off key supply routes. Humanitarian groups report that access to wells is restricted and desalination plants lack fuel. Water trucks are largely blocked from entering the city, and truckers who make the dangerous journey have tripled their rates. The water utility and desalination plants are operating well below capacity as fuel runs out.
The crisis extends beyond water. Cooking gas prices have more than quadrupled, leading some families to burn wood, charcoal, or cardboard for heat. Flour and rice cost about 50% more than in the summer. Jens Laerke, a spokesperson for a UN emergency aid division, warned that disease, including cholera, is becoming more likely as families use unprotected wells due to the scarcity of safe water.
Taiz has absorbed roughly 124,000 displaced people since August, according to United Nations migration experts. Hani Bafaqih of the aid group CARE noted that the shortages feed into each other, hampering community kitchens and waste collection. Ahmed Abdel Gaber, who is sheltering in the ruins of a building with nine relatives, said his income from hauling construction material has become unstable. His family now relies heavily on assistance and donations for food.
The military situation continues to escalate. The Houthis captured the port city of Mokha last month, a move that secured control over vital Red Sea shipping routes. Analysts say controlling Taiz is essential for the rebels if they want to push south toward Aden and Lahj. Ahmed Nagi of the International Crisis Group stated that any attempt to seize parts of the city would likely result in a prolonged and costly battle.
Three Houthi officials speaking anonymously claim the group controls about 80% of the surrounding countryside and several neighborhoods inside Taiz. Foreign Minister Afrah al-Zouba has acknowledged the tightening grip. Earlier this week, Houthi missiles hit a residential area, killing two teenage girls. Al-Shahid, who owns a hair salon that she had to close, said staying in her home is inevitable whether it is a matter of life or death.
The government still holds the center of Taiz but faces stiff resistance in the surrounding hills. The siege complicates resupplying forces in the area. As the conflict escalates, the humanitarian needs of Taiz's more than 1 million residents are barely being met.
Source: NPR
