Houthi escalation just before the negotiations on lifting siege on Taiz
The Houthi militia launched a ground offensive in western Taiz province in the south of the country. The attack aimed to achieve a field breakthrough in the fronts of the Maqbanah district in the western highlands of the province, which have been under siege for seven and a half years.
Meanwhile, the Yemeni army said it repelled a Houthi attack on the Taiz axis, targeting the black hills in the district overlooking a vital line linking Taiz and Hodeida.
The Yemeni army said in a statement that the battles that took place cost the Houthis lives before the militants who participated in the attack on the Yemeni army positions retreated.
Observers say Houthi wants to impose his conditions by force before starting negotiations in Jordan to lift the siege of Taiz. The Houthi want to achieve gains on the ground that would allow them to gain some political momentum after the formation of the new Yemeni presidential council.
The Houthis are adamant that the siege of Taiz not be lifted, and that they refuse to open a civilian artery under the truce that came into effect on April 2 for two months, while the Yemeni government and the Arab coalition have fulfilled all the provisions, in accordance with the UN agreement.
The Houthi have also had a case of revenge against the province and its people, who have refused to submit to them over the seven years of a long blockade that has caused an estimated $7 billion in damage to the province, according to local media.
Taiz has paid a high price at all levels as a result of the Houthi siege, with more than 750 facilities – infrastructure such as bridges, roads, and an airport – suffering partial and total damage, exacerbating the humanitarian situation inside the besieged city.
Initial reports revealed that more than 4,800 economic and vital facilities were destroyed in Taiz during the war years, including 58 factories.
The energy sector is at the forefront of infrastructure that has been systematically destroyed by Houthi militias, starting with the repeated targeting of the Osifra power plant and the Mocha power plant, which has deprived the city’s residents of electricity since the war began.
According to estimates released by the World Bank, Taiz needs US$122 million to recover and rebuild the energy sector over five years, or $24 million for just one year.
Experts consider the Houthis’ continued siege of some Yemeni cities and governorates, their increased military build-up and the recruitment of fighters to the ceasefire lines to be a serious threat to the UN movement seeking to extend and build on the truce to launch a comprehensive peace process.
