Blowing Up the Heejah Al-Abd Road Threatens to Deprive Taiz Residents of Food and Medicine
Taiz – News Report
The Human Rights Information and Training Center (HRITC), a regional organization holding special consultative status with the United Nations, has warned of the serious humanitarian consequences of the Houthi militias’ escalation of their siege of Taiz city, the continued indiscriminate shelling of residential neighborhoods, and the destruction of the Heejah Al-Abd road, a major supply lifeline connecting the city to the interim capital, Aden.
In a press statement, the Center said credible information received by its team indicated that Houthi-affiliated forces detonated explosives on the Heejah Al-Abd road in the Al-Turbah area at approximately 4:00 a.m. on October 18, 2026. The explosion caused extensive damage to the road, including the destruction of a water culvert at one of its bends. The damage was consistent with the use of explosives placed beneath the ground.
The Center explained that a journalist acting as a field monitor confirmed the geographical location of the damage. Local sources described the explosion as enormous and terrifying, reporting that stones were propelled through the air and reached nearby homes.
The Center noted that the incident occurred amid the Houthi militias’ control of Al-Turbah since October 4, 2026. The area occupies a strategic position overlooking the vital road leading to Taiz. It stressed that targeting the Heejah Al-Abd road threatens to disrupt the delivery of food, medicine, fuel, and other essential supplies to residents, who have endured a siege since 2015.
The Center affirmed that deliberately depriving civilians of items indispensable to their survival, including food and medicine, is prohibited under international humanitarian law. It added that using starvation of civilians as a method of warfare, or unlawfully attacking civilian objects, constitutes war crimes that warrant accountability.
It warned that disrupting vital supply routes threatens to trigger direct humanitarian consequences for hundreds of thousands of civilians, particularly children, patients, and older people, putting their fundamental rights to life, health, food, and security at risk.
The Center called for an immediate halt to the indiscriminate shelling of residential neighborhoods by the Houthi militias and an end to attacks on roads, civilian facilities, and infrastructure essential to the population’s survival. It also called for the reopening and securing of the Heejah Al-Abd road and for ensuring the unhindered passage of civilians and trucks carrying essential supplies.
Furthermore, the Center called for the lifting of the siege on Taiz city and urged the United Nations, the international community, and human rights and humanitarian organizations to take urgent action to monitor and investigate violations, ensure the delivery of humanitarian aid, and hold those responsible for serious violations of international humanitarian law accountable.
The Center emphasized that civilians are not parties to the war and that their basic needs must never be used as instruments of military or political pressure. It underscored the need for serious international action to end the siege and protect the people of Taiz from further violations.
