In Taiz, Yemen, "Um Rayan" is facing serious challenges in providing food for her children. This situation arose after the Houthi group took control of the city and besieged it. Taiz, which is the third largest city in Yemen, is now facing food shortages and rising prices.
Critical Situation in Taiz
Um Rayan is wandering through the main market of Taiz, where many stalls are empty and others are offering unprecedented prices. She despairingly says, "We can no longer buy flour or sugar." She is raising her four children alone and suffers from the crises in this city.
Taiz, located in the northwestern mountains of Yemen, is recognized as a historical cultural and academic center. This city was also besieged by the Houthis in 2015, exacerbating the Yemeni civil war. In 2014, the Houthi group took control of the capital, Sana'a, leading to Saudi Arabia's intervention in the war to support the Yemeni government.
Reasons for Rising Prices and Isolation of Taiz
With the main supply routes for food cut off, the residents of Taiz are facing serious problems. Um Rayan explains, "When you talk to traders, they say they have to pay very high costs to bring goods from distant routes because the roads are blocked. Taiz is isolated from all sides."
Some residents of Taiz accuse vendors of hoarding and raising prices. "Khalid Mohammed" says, "The government has delayed our salaries, but at the same time, prices have skyrocketed."
Yemen, one of the poorest countries in the world, was already facing a widespread humanitarian crisis before the war began. The World Food Programme announced last week that three-quarters of Yemen's population, estimated by the United Nations to be 42 million, are unable to meet their basic food needs.
The situation in Taiz has become extremely "catastrophic" due to the siege. "Dia Al-Arash," one of the residents, says, "And we, the locals, are extremely exhausted."
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