UNICEF: Taiz is the first source of concern amid a “sea of ​​worries” in Yemen

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UNICEF has warned that the escalation of fighting in Yemen is leading to the disruption of “the most basic basic services” for about three million people across the country, noting that “Taiz represents the first concern at the present time, amid a sea of ​​concerns.”

UNICEF Representative in Yemen, Akhil Iyer, said in statements from Aden that the city of Taiz is “effectively under siege,” as “fighting on both sides of the front lines” has led to a complete halt to vehicle movement toward one of the country’s largest cities, which also hosts about 120,000 people out of the 250,000 who were recently displaced due to the escalation.

He added: "Taiz is without a doubt the primary source of concern right now amidst a sea of ​​worries [in Yemen]. Many people have fled time and time again, and are now arriving in camps or already overcrowded communities, where food is scarce or completely non-existent, and clean water is almost non-existent. They literally arrived with only the clothes they were wearing. They have almost nothing left to help them survive."

Eyre highlighted the water and sanitation situation in Taiz, which is already one of the most water-scarce areas in Yemen.

He said that families have begun to ration their water consumption, unsure whether they will be able to refill their containers after they run out.

The cutting off of supply routes has led to shortages of fuel, food and water, at a time when “prices are rising and basic services are at risk of stopping completely.”

The UNICEF official noted that this situation represents “another devastating blow” to families struggling to feed their children, especially those with children who are already malnourished. He pointed out that approximately one out of every three children examined by the organization in Taiz suffers from malnutrition.

Fuel shortages have caused a waste crisis in the city of Taiz. Garbage accumulates in its neighborhoods, with trucks unable to collect it or reach waste dumps, according to Iyer, which threatens to increase the risk of diarrheal diseases and cholera, especially with the arrival of winter.

The World Health Organization has confirmed that cases of cholera have tripled in just three weeks, while cases of measles, dengue fever and suspected diphtheria are also on the rise.

At the same time, the twelve hospitals in Taiz only have a stock of fuel sufficient for four days, and the city suffers from a daily shortage of oxygen supplies, while the stocks of the vast majority of essential medicines are only sufficient for approximately one week or less.

In this context, Iyer said: “For children in Taiz, hunger, lack of safe drinking water, disease outbreaks, closure of health facilities, and lack of medicines and basic medical supplies have become a more dangerous combination by the day.”

The UNICEF representative in the country indicated that the organization has prepared about 8,000 boxes of ready-to-use therapeutic food to support the treatment of children in Taiz suffering from severe acute malnutrition, which is the most dangerous and deadly type of malnutrition.

However, delivering these supplies to health facilities throughout the governorate faces extreme difficulties due to the closure of all roads.

Eyre called on all parties to protect children and civilians, maintain water systems and sanitation facilities, and fulfill their obligations under international humanitarian law, including allowing safe access for humanitarian workers.

He also indicated that an exceptional permit had been obtained to transport ready-to-use therapeutic food to areas under Houthi control in the near future, and the organization expects these supplies to be sufficient for approximately six months.

It should be noted that UN humanitarian organizations suspended their operations in those areas about a year ago, in light of the de facto authorities continuing to arbitrarily detain 71 UN employees.