A Houthi-run ministry reported a mortar strike at a Taiz gas station on Oct. 26; separately, road blockades have restricted aid access for hundreds of thousands.
The Houthi-run Ministry of Health said mortar shells hit a station in al-Dhabab, Sabr al-Mawadim district, killing two people and injuring eight. It blamed what it called Saudi reinforcements. The reported shelling and responsibility claim are unverified. Entisaf Organization for Women and Children’s Rights also reported two deaths, but said seven people were injured. The Associated Press reported that ministry spokesperson Anis Al-Asbahi blamed Yemeni government forces; AP said it could not independently verify the allegation.
WFP said Oct. 14 that aid operations were cut off from over 600,000 Taiz residents, including over 200,000 women and children. WFP also warned that wheat-flour stocks in Taiz were nearly exhausted and local food supplies might last only briefly if access restrictions continued.
Separately, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said Houthi forces used explosives to damage the Hayjat al-Abd road in al-Turba on Oct. 18. The route carried commercial supplies into Taiz, including food, medicine and fuel, HRW said. Roads into and out of the city had been largely blocked since Oct. 1 by Houthi and Yemeni government-affiliated forces amid hostilities. HRW said control has been divided since 2015, though the city itself remains under Yemeni government control and Houthi forces have blocked key roads linking it to the rest of the country.
