Houthi Siege Traps 30 International Organization Staff in Taiz

Around 30 staff members of the international demining organization 'The HALO Trust' are facing difficult conditions inside Taiz city, after the Houthi group cut off main supply routes in early October, amid fears for their safety and separation from their families.

Britain's ITV News quoted the organization's Yemen program manager, Mara van der Kamp, as saying that the besieged staff in Taiz are separated from their families and do not know when they will be able to return or reunite with their loved ones.

Van der Kamp added that the ongoing siege exacerbates the suffering of civilians who have no safe places to take refuge, noting that behind the humanitarian crisis are people facing difficult choices amid deteriorating living and security conditions.

The detention of the staff within the city comes as the humanitarian crisis affecting hundreds of thousands of residents worsens, following the cutting of the main road linking Taiz, which is under the control of the Yemeni government, and the interim capital Aden, leading to severe shortages of food, fuel, and medical supplies.

The United Nations has warned that food and fuel prices have more than doubled, and water production has been halved, while fuel shortages threaten the continued operation of hospitals and the supply of medical oxygen to patients.

The report quoted a HALO Trust employee, identified by the pseudonym 'Fatima' to protect her identity, as saying that workers and residents are living in a state of fear and anxiety for each other's safety, amid difficulties in movement and securing basic needs.

She added that the current situation is reminiscent of the siege Taiz witnessed in 2015, expressing her fear of a repeat of the violations and dangers civilians faced during that period.

The international organization 'The HALO Trust' works in the field of landmine clearance, and the continued presence of its staff inside Taiz raises concerns about their safety and ability to communicate with their families, coinciding with the deteriorating humanitarian situation in the city.

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, has called on all parties to protect civilians and avoid the use of explosive weapons with wide-area effects in populated areas.