Houthi Forces Encircle Yemen's Taiz, Cutting Road Access and Raising Fears of Humanitarian Crisis

Houthi forces have cut road access to Taiz, Yemen's third-largest city, encircling it and leaving residents short of essentials, while officials warn of an impending humanitarian disaster. The World Food Program says it cannot reach more than 600,000 people in and around the city. The International Organization for Migration counts over 200,000 people displaced since the Houthi offensive on Yemen's Red Sea coast began in September. Taiz previously endured a siege from 2015 to 2017. The Houthis are described as Iranian-backed, and the crisis confronts Yemen's Saudi-backed government.

Right-leaning outlets had not reported this story at the time of writing, while left-leaning and alternative or independent outlets had. The left-leaning New York Times leads with the siege and the dwindling supply of essentials, citing officials' warnings of a looming disaster and describing the Houthis as Iranian-backed. The alternative outlet Responsible Statecraft stresses the city's earlier siege, UN agency figures on people unreachable and displaced, and the predicament of the Saudi-backed government, and asks why this city is targeted now. Both sides agree on the encirclement and the humanitarian danger.