Yemen's Marib governor calls for end to Houthi siege of Taiz
Al-Arada urged the international community to press for lifting the Houthi siege and to ensure aid reaches civilians in Taiz.
Marib Governor Sultan al-Arada, a member of Yemen's Presidential Leadership Council, discussed Houthi escalation and the siege of Taiz with Britain's ambassador to Yemen on Thursday, Saba (Government), the news agency of Yemen's internationally recognised government, reported.
The discussion took place in a virtual meeting and covered the latest military, political, security and economic developments in Yemen.
Al-Arada said the Iran-backed Houthi militias are intensifying their pressure through threats and military movements that weaken prospects for stability.
He also accused the group of abusing civilians in the areas it controls.
He said the Houthis are exploiting humanitarian and economic hardship to advance their military, security and political aims.
Al-Arada pointed to the group's continued siege of Taiz, a city home to millions of people, and to ballistic missile and drone attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure.
He described the humanitarian consequences of these attacks as a flagrant violation of international humanitarian law.
He urged the international community to meet its responsibilities toward Taiz, press for the Houthi-imposed siege to be lifted urgently, and ensure that aid reaches residents suffering under it.
The Houthis, who control the capital Sanaa and much of northern Yemen, have been fighting the internationally recognised government since 2014.
Taiz, in the southwest, has long been one of the areas hardest hit by the conflict, with civilians there facing restrictions on movement and supplies.
The Presidential Leadership Council was formed in 2022 to lead the government's side of the conflict, and its members include regional governors such as al-Arada.
