Houthi Forces Encircle Taiz as Yemen's Humanitarian Crisis Worsens

Yemen's internationally recognized government faces mounting military and humanitarian pressure as Houthi forces surround Taiz and consolidate control along the Red Sea coast. The renewed fighting has restricted aid access, displaced hundreds of thousands of people and threatened medical services in one of the country's most historically significant cities, according to United Nations agencies and reports published October 18 and 20, 2026.

The World Food Program says it cannot reach more than 600,000 people in and around Taiz. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) reported that more than 233,000 people had been displaced since the conflict's latest escalation, with more than half in Taiz, while approximately 110,000 children were displaced after fighting intensified in early September.

The IOM also confirmed 30 child deaths since the latest escalation in fighting. Meanwhile, the World Health Organization (WHO) warned that 12 hospitals in Taiz were running short of oxygen and medicines, with surgical supplies exhausted and urgent needs for electricity and oxygen affecting dialysis and intensive care patients. Cholera cases are also increasing, the agency said.

Medical shortages have compounded the consequences of renewed clashes across several fronts. Reports cited by Vatican News said eight government-aligned soldiers were killed during heavy fighting on the al-Maqa-tirah front on Sunday, while government forces claimed to have killed 12 Houthi fighters in Taiz after several days of combat.

The WHO has sought $31 million in emergency assistance for Yemen, up from an initial appeal of $9 million earlier in the month.

Taiz's strategic position makes the renewed encirclement particularly significant for the government. The city connects the Red Sea coast with southern highlands leading toward Aden, the administrative capital of the internationally recognized government. Houthi control of surrounding mountains could complicate government operations near the Bab al-Mandab Strait, a critical maritime passage.

President Rashad al-Alimi, who chairs the Saudi-backed Presidential Leadership Council and comes from Taiz governorate, announced the government's counteroffensive, Operation “Dawn of Yemen,” on October 5. The campaign aims to retake territory controlled by the Houthis, including the capital, Sana'a.

Government forces, supported by Saudi airstrikes, have recovered positions around Bab al-Mandab and Dhubab. However, Mokha, a strategic coastal town captured by Houthi forces in September, remains under their control, according to Responsible Statecraft. The offensive appeared to have stalled during its second week.

The government coalition also faces internal divisions. Its constituent factions answer to different commanders and pursue competing political objectives. After government positions on the western coast collapsed in September, Tareq Saleh, leader of the National Resistance Forces, withdrew to Aden, where southern units initially refused his troops entry. Tensions reflect longstanding southern concerns about northern political and military dominance.

The conflict has also become more closely connected to the wider confrontation between the United States and Iran. Responsible Statecraft reported that Houthi attacks have targeted Saudi Arabia, including repeated strikes on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh during October and an attack on Aramco's headquarters in Dhahran the previous week.

Saudi Arabia has responded with air and missile strikes against Houthi territory while largely avoiding direct public accusations against Tehran. Iran remains the movement's principal external backer, and its influence could affect prospects for de-escalation, according to Responsible Statecraft's analysis.

Regional governments have signaled limited defensive support for Saudi Arabia. Egypt's President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi sought parliamentary authorization to provide military assistance, emphasizing the defensive scope of any involvement.

“We are speaking only about defense,” Abdel Fatah al-Sisi said.

U.S. President Donald Trump has also criticized Houthi actions while suggesting Turkey could become more involved. The administration faces competing pressures from the prolonged U.S.-Iran war, rising oil prices and the November 3 midterm elections.

Saudi policy commentator Abdulrahman al-Rashed has argued against treating the Houthis as a conventional political partner. A former editor of Asharq al-Awsat, al-Rashed said the movement's political objectives conflict with the foundations of state governance.

“Is fundamentally at odds with the very idea of the state,” Abdulrahman al-Rashed argued.

Al-Rashed also questioned whether previous concessions could produce a lasting settlement, contending that the movement had used pauses in fighting to strengthen its military position.

“Yet another Iranian proxy in the region, not the nucleus of an ordinary Yemeni system of government,” Abdulrahman al-Rashed said.