United Nations, 20 October, 2026 (Nosheen): More than 250,000 people have been displaced by renewed fighting in Yemen since August, with the United Nations warning of a worsening humanitarian crisis, particularly in the southwestern city of Taiz and its surrounding governorate, where access to essential supplies and humanitarian assistance has been severely restricted. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk said the closure of the only supply route connecting Taiz to Aden by Houthi forces had placed civilians at grave risk, blocking humanitarian aid and cutting off essential supplies. He urged the Houthis, who have encircled Taiz city, to immediately allow humanitarian assistance to reach affected communities. According to the UN, at least 32 civilians, including 14 children and nine women, have been confirmed killed across the governorate. The risk of further deaths and injuries has increased as fighting moves closer to densely populated areas. The latest escalation follows the resumption of clashes last month between Houthi fighters, formally known as Ansar Allah, and Yemen’s internationally recognised government based in Aden, ending the relative calm established under the 2022 truce. The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said around half of those recently displaced by the violence had sought refuge in Taiz, where overcrowded camps and communities are struggling with severe shortages of food, clean water and other necessities. UNICEF Representative in Yemen Akhil Iyer said many displaced families had been forced to flee repeatedly and arrived with almost nothing, while access to food and safe drinking water remained extremely limited. The World Food Programme (WFP) reported that wheat flour stocks in affected areas of Taiz were nearly exhausted, further worsening food insecurity in a governorate where 10 of its 16 districts were already classified at emergency levels.
UNICEF also warned that the accumulation of garbage and the suspension of sanitation services, particularly in Taiz city, were increasing public health risks. Humanitarian agencies are facing growing difficulties in delivering fuel, food and medical supplies because of continuing hostilities and blocked routes. The situation has raised concerns about a worsening health emergency, with Yemen already facing outbreaks of cholera and measles, alongside suspected cases of diphtheria and dengue fever. Iyer said restricted access was preventing UNICEF from distributing ready-to-use therapeutic food to health facilities, despite supplies having been positioned before the conflict escalated. He called on all parties to protect civilians and children, safeguard water systems and health facilities, and comply with international humanitarian law by allowing humanitarian organisations safe access. Meanwhile, World Health Organization spokesperson Tarik Jasarevic said 12 hospitals in Taiz had approximately four days of fuel remaining. Hospitals were also facing daily shortages of oxygen cylinders, while 115 of 127 essential medicines had stocks expected to last only a week or less. The UN refugee agency (UNHCR) warned that access restrictions were preventing aid teams from reaching many vulnerable people, although protection activities continued wherever possible. UNHCR spokesperson Matthew Saltmarsh also highlighted the urgent needs of approximately 65,000 refugees and asylum-seekers in Yemen, most of whom are from Somalia and Ethiopia. The United Nations has called for immediate humanitarian access to prevent further civilian suffering and avert a deeper humanitarian and public health crisis.