Islamabad, 28 October, 2026 (Kamran Raja): Yemeni government officials have appealed to the international community for urgent assistance to protect civilians in Taiz and reopen roads into the city as Iran-backed Houthi rebels tighten their siege. Taiz province has emerged as a major battleground in recent weeks, with the city serving as a strategic gateway to southern Yemen and hosting a large number of people displaced by the latest fighting, further straining already limited resources. Taiz Governor Nabil Shamsan said residents had lost access to approximately three million litres of water previously supplied from wells in Wadi al-Dhubab, which he claimed was now under Houthi control. The Associated Press said it could not independently verify the claim. Meanwhile, Eshraq al-Maqtari, a legal affairs minister in Yemen’s internationally recognised government, said Houthi forces had fired more than 2,000 projectiles and explosives at districts of Taiz in recent days. She called for measures to disrupt the rebels’ weapons supplies and funding. Shamsan said fighting had intensified across the province as the Houthis deployed reinforcements to several fronts, leaving the city surrounded on all four sides. The worsening situation has raised concerns over civilian safety, access to essential services and the humanitarian consequences of the continued conflict.