Ten years of war in Yemen – Taiz… ten years of unending war
Ten years of war in Yemen
Taiz is a Yemeni city in the southern highlands and the cultural capital of Yemen.[4] It is located at the foot of Mount Sabir, which rises approximately 3,000 meters. It is 256 km from the capital, Sana’a.
It is the capital of Taiz Governorate, the most populous governorate in Yemen.
Taiz is the most populous city in the country, with a population of 458,933 according to the 2004 census.[5] By 2014, its population had reached approximately 615,222.[6] It has been described as the Damascus of Yemen, with its fruits, flowers, rivers, and picnic spots.[7]
Taiz is administratively divided into three districts.
Its climate is moderate almost year-round, making it the most temperate region in Yemen.[8] Taiz is the rainiest city in Yemen after Ibb, with an annual rainfall rate of approximately 600 millimeters.
Taiz Sige
The siege of Taiz is an ongoing, protracted military confrontation between opposing Yemeni forces in the city of Taiz for control of the city and surrounding area. The battle began one month after the start of the Yemeni Civil War.
Background
Houthi forces backed by troops loyal to Ali Abdullah Saleh, Yemen’s influential former president and General People’s Congress party head, swept into Taiz on 22 March, capturing the military airport and other key parts of the city. They encountered little resistance, although Houthi gunmen reportedly fired into the air to disperse protests.[23] One demonstrator was killed and five more were injured.[24]
Two days later, five demonstrators were killed by the Houthis and 80 were injured during a protest on 24 March against their presence in the city, while in the city of Al Turba, 80 km to the southwest, three protesters were killed and 12 injured while attacking a Houthi position.[25]
On 11 April 2015, pro-Houthi soldiers and fighters loyal to President Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi both reportedly mobilised around Taiz, with the 35th Armoured Brigade deploying on the city streets and anti-Houthi militiamen taking up positions north of the city, amid Saudi-led coalition airstrikes in the area. The 22nd Republican Guards Brigade was hit by an airstrike, as was the village of Al-Dhahirah in the Mawiyah District, the next day.[26]
