The October 22 warning covers fuel, oxygen, medicines and medical supplies in the Yemeni city. Local authorities say restrictions also block water tankers, while higher travel costs make treatment harder to reach.
Forty-two health facilities in Taiz, Yemen, were reporting severe shortages of fuel, oxygen, medicine and medical supplies, the World Health Organization warned on October 22. The warning concerns shortages, rather than the closure of all 42 facilities.
The city of about 1 million people lost both its land links in early October. The Houthis took al-Turbah by October 4, cutting the Taiz–al-Turbah–Aden road, the main route for goods. On October 3, forces loyal to Yemen’s internationally recognised government closed the eastern al-Houban crossing into Houthi-held territory, citing attempted Houthi incursions.
Taiz’s fuel stations have been closed since October 5. Prices gathered by Al Jazeera for its October 28 report show that petrol, diesel and cooking gas are still available, but cost substantially more.
| Item | Stated comparison price | Price reported October 28 |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol, 20 litres | 30,000 riyals ($19), last year | 120,000 riyals ($77) |
| Diesel, 20 litres | 46,000 riyals ($29) |
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| 90,000 riyals ($58) |
| Cooking-gas cylinder | 11,400 riyals ($7) | 40,000 riyals ($26) |
| Bus fare | 200 riyals ($0.13) | 500 riyals ($0.32) |
Petrol costs four times last year’s price, diesel has nearly doubled against the stated comparison price, and bus fares have risen by 150 percent. Fuel shortages reach beyond transport: diesel powers water pumps, hospital generators and ambulances.
On October 20, the United Nations warned that road closures and insecurity were blocking vital supplies. Taiz’s water production had fallen by half. UN officials said the cost of tanker-delivered water had roughly tripled since fighting escalated.
Diesel shortages have disrupted water pumps. Local authorities say access restrictions are also preventing tankers from the Al-Dhabab basin, an important drinking-water source, from entering the city.
Al Jazeera described the cost of reaching treatment through the experience of Fatima Khaled, 55, who has kidney failure. She sleeps on the floor of the dialysis hall at Al-Jumhuri General Hospital because she cannot afford repeated trips from her village west of Taiz or a room nearer the hospital. Closed roads and long mountain detours have made treatment journeys exhausting and expensive.
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