The United Nations has urged Yemen’s Houthi group to stop its military offensive in Taiz province, warning that the escalation is putting civilians at serious risk.
UN Special Envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg said he was deeply concerned about the sharp increase in fighting in Taiz. His office has received reports of casualties, infrastructure damage and road closures, which are making it difficult for civilians to leave affected areas.
Taiz is Yemen’s third-largest city and is currently hosting a large number of people displaced by fighting in other parts of the country. Grundberg stressed that civilians and civilian infrastructure must be protected and called for safe and unrestricted humanitarian access.
He said he remained in contact with both the Yemeni government and the Houthis in an effort to contain the violence and preserve civilian movement.
Fighting between government forces and the Houthis has intensified since early July, representing the most serious escalation since the relative calm that followed a UN-supported truce in April 2022.
Yemeni government figures indicate that nearly 147,000 people were displaced across the country between Sept. 1 and 18, with more than 80,000 displaced people arriving in Taiz.
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