Yemen's Taiz sees growing popular mobilisation amid fears of Houthi siege

A state of general alert and mobilisation has been declared in Yemen's Taiz province amid escalating fighting and fears that the Houthis could impose a full siege on the province.

The move comes amid continued fighting on Yemen's western coast, with clashes reported in the past 24 hours to the east, west and south of Taiz.

The past hours have seen fierce clashes around the air defence axis and western and southern Taiz, while government forces have thwarted Houthi infiltration attempts in Jabal Habashi and Bani Omar.

Government aircraft also carried out strikes targeting Houthi reinforcements and vehicles on Al-Siteen road and around Al-Kadaha and Al-Ahkloom. The fighting was accompanied by reciprocal artillery fire and repeated closures of the eastern Al-Qasr crossing following Houthi shelling.

Fears of a full siege

Taiz has significant political and geographical importance and is considered the main obstacle to Houthi expansion. The group has been applying pressure towards the province's eastern and southern flanks, seeking to exploit changes in the military map to tighten its grip.

The Houthis are seeking to impose a complete siege by taking control of the only southern route linking Taiz with the interim capital Aden and other provinces controlled by the internationally recognised government.

Such a move would close the last outlet for the movement of people and the flow of essential goods, food and medicine into the province.

Around four million people live in Taiz and residents fear that a siege would worsen already severe humanitarian and economic conditions.

The threat has also revived memories of the early years of the war, prompting residents and local groups to prepare for a possible siege rather than wait for political solutions.

General mobilisation declared

The "Supreme Council of Popular Resistance" in Taiz, a group allied with the government, has called for general mobilisation across all government-held provinces and districts and urged people to unite to defend them.

It also called on the Presidential Leadership Council to assume its responsibilities and use all available resources to support efforts to restore the state.

The mobilisation has extended across Taiz's districts, with meetings bringing together local notables and political and security officials in an effort to overcome internal divisions and strengthen the province's internal front.

The Emergency Committee in Mishr'a and Hadnan district held an expanded meeting attended by Taiz deputy governor for defence and security affairs Major General Abdul Karim Al-Sabri and deputy governor and head of the mobilisation and support committee Sheikh Aref Jamel.

The meeting stressed the seriousness of the situation and the need to raise readiness to the highest levels.

Taiz Governor Nabil Shamsan also discussed preparations with dignitaries from Al-Shamayatayn district, stressing the importance of strengthening internal unity. He praised Saudi Arabia's continued support and said the province's security was a top priority requiring the coordination of popular and official efforts through a comprehensive emergency plan.

"Front support committees" have also been formed to provide logistical support, organise general mobilisation and facilitate voluntary recruitment to reinforce the armed forces.

Mohammed Al-Ezzi, secretary of the Nasserist Unionist People's Organisation in Mishr'a and Hadnan district, told The New Arab that there was an unprecedented national consensus among Taiz's political and social groups in support of armed popular mobilisation alongside the national army.

Al-Ezzi said the mobilisation reflected growing awareness of the threat posed by the Houthis.

"The Houthi militias are targeting Taiz, its land and its people, because of its strategic position at the heart of the national project, as the maker of revolutions, the pillar of the republic, and the state's line of defence against separatist projects," he said.

He added that the Houthis were seeking to undermine the republican system by subjugating Taiz and taking revenge on the province because it was "the first to reject the [2014 Houthi] coup, and it continues to carry the banner of defending the state".

Al-Ezzi said political forces and parties in Taiz had succeeded in "turning the page on internal differences and unifying the compass".

He said the groups understood that "there is no survival for groups or individuals except in the presence of the state, and there is no meaning to any political projects if the militia succeeds in bringing down Taiz".

He added that "defending the republican system and the state is a matter of national consensus and a foundation of the collective consciousness of all the province's residents".

Residents prepare for possible siege

Journalist Wisam Mohammed told The New Arab that calls for popular mobilisation might initially appear unlikely to attract a major response because of political divisions, the legacy of corruption and government failures, and the lack of services.

However, he said the Houthis' control of Mokha and Bab al-Mandab, their approach towards the main roads linking Taiz to Aden and Lahj, and threats to impose a siege had pushed political and social groups to put their differences aside.

"The nature of the conflict in Taiz is political and civilian, which makes it dissolve when faced with real danger," Mohammed said, adding that the military and political leadership needed to develop mechanisms to organise and absorb the growing popular mobilisation.

He said current conditions were pushing more people to participate in defence because of accumulated suffering and lessons from the war, as well as growing awareness of the danger posed by a possible siege.

Mohammed also pointed to a significant demographic change, saying the population of Taiz city was now three times what it was at the beginning of the war because of the return of residents to the city and surrounding rural areas.

The threat of a siege has also affected living conditions, with prices of basic goods and fuel rising as fears grow over a possible tightening of the cordon.

Residents have also expressed concern about disruptions to supply lines and transport along alternative roads, while prices of individual weapons and equipment have risen amid increased demand.

Arms and ammunition markets across Taiz have seen a notable increase in demand, with residents buying personal weapons and ammunition at their own expense.

During a field visit to markets in the province, The New Arab observed a rush to buy weapons and individual equipment. Some residents were selling family gold and jewellery to raise money to buy weapons.

Mahyoub Saif, a 60-year-old resident interviewed by The New Arab in the market, said residents did not want to repeat what happened in 2015.

"We do not want to repeat the mistakes of 2015. We were civilians and did not know the weapons or care about them. When we were forced to fight, five fighters would take turns using one Kalashnikov. Today, every individual must have his own weapon," he said.

"We know very well that the Houthis want to invade Taiz and bring it to its knees, so I gathered what remained of the gold belonging to my wife and daughters, sold it and bought two Kalashnikovs so that I would be ready," he added.