Houthis Launch New Attacks on Taiz but UN Envoy Says Yemen Truce Persists

The Iran-backed Houthi militia in Yemen has launched new attacks on the besieged city of Taiz, in violation of a fragile UN-brokered truce, which came into effect at the beginning of April. The Houthis bombarded government troops with artillery, heavy weapons, and explosive drones before launching three coordinated ground attacks in an attempt to take control of new areas. Heavy clashes between the Houthi rebels and Yemeni national army troops reportedly ended early on Tuesday.

The Houthis continue to ignore calls to end their siege of Taiz, despite their commitment under the terms of the truce to work jointly with the Yemeni government to open roads in Taiz and other provinces. Talks in Amman, Jordan between the Yemeni government and the Houthis on opening roads in Taiz broke down as the Houthis insisted on opening only small and unpaved roads. the Yemeni government accepted UN special envoy Hans Grundberg’s proposal to open a main road and four small roads, but the Houthi delegation asked for time to discuss it with their leaders.

Grundberg told the UN Security Council on Tuesday that the truce had contributed to a reduction in fighting and other positive developments but that more must be done to address rising humanitarian needs and insecurity.

“The truce has now been holding in Yemen for two-and-a-half months, something unprecedented during this war, and something that seemed unimaginable at the beginning of this year,” he said.

Since the truce was announced in April, there have been no confirmed airstrikes in Yemen or cross-border attacks emanating from the country, said Grundberg. However, as people venture into previously inaccessible front-line areas contaminated with landmines and unexploded ordnance, casualties are increasing.

Ghada Mudawi, a senior official with the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, also urged the Security Council to address the dire needs in a country where 19 million people are going hungry, with more than 160,000 on the brink of famine.

“Yemen’s humanitarian crisis remains as severe today as it was before the truce. In fact, the crisis could soon deteriorate. Such an outcome would undermine the momentum the truce has generated and could undermine prospects for further progress,” she said.

Linda Thomas-Greenfield, US ambassador to the United Nations, said that positive results of the truce are a “cause for genuine optimism” and that US President Joe Biden’s visit to the region next month will seek to build on the progress already made. Thomas-Greenfield also called for the immediate release of a dozen UN and US staff that have been detained by the Houthis.