Yemeni government forces and allied Popular Resistance fighters clashed with Houthi fighters on the western outskirts of Taiz on Wednesday, 21 October, near the city’s old airport and Jabal Han mountain. The internationally recognised government claimed its troops repelled the attack and conducted air strikes against Houthi positions, vehicles, and a missile launchpad in the vicinity. These claims have not been independently confirmed.
Videos captured a government tank firing at Houthi positions amidst the sound of gunfire. The fighting intensifies as Taiz, Yemen’s third-largest city, faces increasing pressure from Houthi forces, which have nearly surrounded it and disrupted key supply routes, including the main road to Aden, the interim capital.
Access restrictions have affected the city’s main landfill, leading to rubbish accumulating along major streets. Sanitation workers report they can no longer reach the dumping site due to the clashes and have started burning waste in the streets.
Footage shows smoke billowing over busy roads and goats foraging in the litter. Aid agencies warn that fuel shortages are also impacting water supply, hospitals, and waste collection, raising concerns about potential disease outbreaks.
“If we don’t die from Houthi shelling, we’ll die from this rubbish,” lamented one resident.
