UN urges halt in Taiz as fighting displaces thousands of Yemeni children
The UN envoy for Yemen, Hans Grundberg, urged an end to fighting around Taiz as the Houthis cut the city's main road to Aden. About 145,000 Yemenis were displaced in September, including about 79,000 children, UNICEF says. Aid groups warn of worse to come as a new offensive begins.
As Yemen's war heats up again, civilians are paying the price. The United Nations special envoy for Yemen, Hans Grundberg, has urged all sides to halt fighting around Taiz, Anadolu Agency and UN News reported. The appeal came as Houthi forces cut the main road linking Taiz to the government-held port of Aden.
The numbers are stark. About 145,000 people were displaced across Yemen in September, including about 79,000 children, according to UNICEF figures reported by Anadolu. Many fled with little more than what they could carry, moving to crowded camps or relatives' homes where food and clean water are scarce.
Taiz is Yemen's third-largest city and home to hundreds of thousands of people. The Houthis have surrounded parts of it for years, and residents have long relied on a few mountain roads to bring in food, fuel and medicine. With the main route to Aden cut, prices for basic goods are likely to rise and aid deliveries will be harder.
Al Jazeera described the latest escalation as a turning point. On Sunday, Yemen's internationally recognized government announced a military campaign to retake all territory held by the Houthis, with Saudi Arabia expected to provide air power.
Here is the background. Yemen has been at war since the Houthis seized the capital, Sanaa, in 2014. A Saudi-led coalition intervened in 2015. The UN has called Yemen one of the world's worst humanitarian crises, with millions of people needing aid. A truce held for about four years before the fighting revived this year.
Aid agencies say funding has dropped sharply, which leaves fewer resources for a growing number of people in need.
For readers who want to help, major groups working in Yemen include UNICEF, the World Food Programme and Doctors Without Borders.
What we know: About 145,000 people were displaced in September, and the UN wants fighting in Taiz to stop.
What we don't: How many more will flee as the government offensive begins.
Where outlets agree Anadolu Agency and UN News both report that UN envoy Grundberg called for a halt to fighting around Taiz as displacement rose.
Where they differ Yemen's government says its offensive will free besieged areas, while aid groups warn that more fighting will drive even more families from their homes.