Yemen's Taiz City Faces Acute Water Crisis Amid Houthi Siege
Residents are rationing supplies, facing price hikes, and enduring health risks as Houthi rebels tighten their grip on the country's third-largest city.
Drinking water has become critically scarce in Taiz, Yemen's third-largest city, as Houthi rebels intensify their siege. Humanitarian organizations report that the needs of the city's more than 1 million residents are barely being met, with limited access to wells, dwindling fuel for desalination plants, and severe restrictions on water delivery trucks entering the city.
Families are drastically reducing their water consumption. For one resident, Hadil al-Shahid, her household's daily use of about 10 liters of bottled water for drinking and cooking has been stretched to last four days. "We stopped drinking coffee and tea, which we used to drink daily," al-Shahid stated. The cost of bottled water has increased by as much as 75% in recent weeks, forcing some families to purchase water on credit.
The siege, which also constricts food and fuel supplies, is pushing Taiz toward a humanitarian disaster, according to Amnesty International, which has called for the Houthis to open roads into the city.
Yemen has been embroiled in a civil war since 2014, when the Houthis seized control of the northern part of the country, including the capital, Sanaa. Taiz has been a significant battleground since then.
The city's already strained water infrastructure, damaged by war, has been further pressured by population growth and drought, leading to reduced groundwater. While water delivery trucks had previously been a reliable alternative, their access has been severely curtailed since the Houthis ramped up their advance on Taiz last month, following their capture of the port city of Mokha.
As Houthi forces gained control of surrounding areas and roads, residents' access to nearby wells was cut off, and external water deliveries diminished. The few truckers still managing to deliver water to Taiz have reportedly tripled their rates due to the perilous journey.
The dwindling fuel supply is also impacting essential services. The city's water utility is struggling to maintain operations, and desalination plants are running far below capacity. Since August, Taiz province has absorbed approximately 124,000 internally displaced people fleeing conflict elsewhere in Yemen, further straining the city's limited resources.
Displaced families are living in makeshift shelters, with some surviving on a single meal a day. Fuel for cooking and transportation has become scarce and expensive, with the price of cooking gas more than quadrupling. This has led some families to resort to cooking over open fires. The fuel shortages have also halted community kitchens and waste-collection services. Without fuel, water pumps, hospital generators, and waste management systems cease to function, increasing the risk of diseases such as cholera. Families are resorting to unprotected wells, raising concerns about contamination.
Food prices have also surged, with flour and rice becoming about 50% more expensive since the summer. Fruits and vegetables are increasingly difficult to find. Some residents, like Ahmed Abdel Gaber, who was displaced from his home, rely heavily on aid and donations for food.
Al-Shahid, a hair salon owner, has seen her income disappear as former customers prioritize spending on basic necessities. Her children's diet has shifted to predominantly rice, bread, and cheese.
While the Yemeni government maintains control of Taiz's city center, supplying its forces there is challenging due to the siege. Government troops are attempting to repel Houthi advances in the surrounding hills, facing strong resistance.
Analysts suggest that controlling Taiz is strategically important for the Houthis to advance south, but a full takeover would likely involve a difficult and costly battle with significant casualties. Houthi officials claim control over approximately 80% of the countryside surrounding Taiz and several key city neighborhoods, though these claims could not be independently verified. However, Yemen's foreign minister has acknowledged the rebels' tightening grip on the city.
The presence of a large civilian population complicates any Houthi attempt to seize the city. Earlier this week, Houthi missile strikes in a residential area of Taiz resulted in the deaths of two teenage girls.
Abdel Gaber reports hearing daily explosions from fighting about 5 kilometers away and fears returning to his village. For al-Shahid, leaving Taiz is not an option due to the prohibitive costs of travel and housing elsewhere. "Staying in our home is inevitable — whether it be a matter of life or death," she said.