The governor of Taiz, a Yemeni city under siege by Houthi rebels, made an urgent plea for help on Sunday. It came a day after Yemen's government warned that the city's hospitals were close to collapse.

On Saturday, the health ministry said medicine, IV fluids, supplies and fuel were "nearing depletion." It said emergency care, surgery, dialysis and care for newborns could stop. Patients, pregnant women and babies face "immediate risk," it said.

Fuel is also short. Without it, hospital generators and ambulances stop. So do the coolers that keep drugs and vaccines safe, the ministry said, according to Al Jazeera. "Every delay increases the risk of service interruption and loss of life," it said.

Governor Nabil Shamsan spoke at a news conference, Yemen Monitor reported. He asked Yemen's leaders to act fast to supply the city. He also asked Saudi Arabia, the other Gulf states and the United Nations for help. He wants the siege lifted, safe routes for aid, and a way to move very sick patients out. He said the siege has lasted 12 years and called for peaceful marches.

Taiz, in Yemen's southwest, is one of the country's largest cities. Houthi forces have surrounded it for years and blocked main roads.

The warnings come as Yemen's war has flared again. Houthi forces launched an offensive along the Taiz coast in September and captured the port of Mocha. Saudi-backed government forces began a counteroffensive in early October.

What we know: Yemen's health ministry says Taiz hospitals are running out of medicine and fuel, and the governor has asked Gulf states and the UN for help.
What we don't: How long hospitals can keep running, and whether any aid convoy can reach the city.