UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk demanded humanitarian access to Taiz in western Yemen, besieged by Huthis rebels from early October. The blocking of the only supply route exposes civilians to serious dangers and hinders access to essential goods.
© Reuters
20/10/2026
by
Lusa
O high Commissioner of the United Nations for Human Rights, Volker Turk, today demanded humanitarian access to Taiz in western Yemen, besieged since early October by Huthis rebels.
“ The closure by the Huthis of the only supply route linking Taiz to Aden exposes civilians to serious dangers, blocks humanitarian aid and hinders access to essential goods,” Turk warned in a statement.
According to the high commissioner, the blockade caused a strong rise in the prices of basic products, leaving many people without sufficient access to food and other essential goods.
The restrictions are also hampering safe access to water, aggravating humanitarian needs and increasing risks to the civilian population.
“Humanitarian aid should be able to enter the city immediately and its passage should be facilitated,” Turk demanded.
The fighting between Yemeni government forces and the Huthis, supported by Iran, resumed in July after several years of relative calm.
The Huthis conquered vast areas of Yemen from 2014, including the capital, Sanaa, and in September took control of the western coast of the country, by the Red Sea, after a rapid offensive.
Since early October, the rebels have surrounded Taiz, the third largest city in the country, and have blocked the road linking Aden, where the internationally recognized and supported Government of Saudi Arabia is installed.
The city is currently facing a shortage of essential assets in a country that was already experiencing a serious humanitarian crisis before the recent intensification of hostilities.
Turk warned that the risks to the population are increasing considerably as the fighting approaches densely populated areas.
“ I urge all parties to the conflict to refrain from using explosive weapons with far-reaching effects in populated areas and to take all possible precautions to protect civilians and civilian property,” Turk said.
The High Commissioner also reiterated the appeal to the Huthis to release “immediately and without conditions” all UN officials and other non-governmental organisations arbitrarily detained.
By mid-October, some 70 UN officials remained detained by the rebels, according to the organization.