The key facts

  • Yemen's Ministry of Defense is investigating reports of the Houthis using projectiles suspected of containing toxic substances in Taiz province
  • Cases of poisoning and suffocation have been reported among civilians and resistance fighters
  • The ministry called on the UN and international organizations to support an urgent investigation

Investigation into reports of toxic substances

Yemeni armed forces said on Thursday that they are examining reports of the Houthis' use of projectiles suspected of containing toxic substances in the southwestern province of Taiz. According to the Ministry of Defense, suspected cases of poisoning and suffocation have been recorded among civilians and resistance fighters. The ministry said it takes reports from the Taiz fronts seriously and called for an urgent investigation to determine the nature of the substances, document their effects, and identify those responsible for supplying them (Anadolu).

Context of the blockade and escalation

The military linked these reports to the ongoing Houthi attacks on Taiz: sniper fire, shelling of residential areas, and the blocking of roads, which has hindered access to water, food, medicine, and other essentials. The ministry warned the Houthis against targeting civilians and using banned means of warfare, and called on the United Nations and international organizations to support an urgent investigation and to exert pressure to open the roads and ensure the unimpeded delivery of humanitarian aid. It said that protecting civilians and lifting the siege of Taiz is the duty of the state and its army.

A prolonged standoff

Taiz remains one of the main flashpoints of Yemen's civil war: government forces and the Houthis have been fighting for control of the strategically located province for more than a decade. Since 2015, the Houthis have held positions around part of Taiz, and restrictions on the main supply routes have contributed to a protracted humanitarian crisis. According to Anadolu, fighting has intensified in recent weeks amid operations by pro-Saudi forces against Houthi positions in Taiz and other provinces, and a new escalation between the Houthis and Saudi Arabia, with both sides reporting attacks in Yemen and the region. The nature of the suspected substances and their origin have not yet been established — the investigation has only just begun.