The Houthi group in Yemen announced on Saturday evening the start of opening roads to the city of Taiz, which the group has imposed a stifling siege for seven years, which has hampered the necessities of life in the densely populated city under the legitimate government.
The Houthi-run news agency in Sana'a said that the group's authorities in Taiz have begun to raise the earthen barriers on the northern outskirts of the city, in preparation for the opening of a 12-kilometer road.
Salah Abdul Rahman Bajash, appointed by the group as governor of Taiz, said that the road that will be opened will alleviate the suffering of citizens, especially patients and citizens entering and leaving the governorate.
There was no comment from the internationally recognized Yemeni government about the Houthis' announcement of unilateral opening of several roads to the city of Taiz.
This step comes before the resumption of a second round of direct talks scheduled for Monday between the Yemeni government and the Houthi group in the Jordanian capital, Amman, under the auspices of the United Nations envoy to Yemen, Hans Grundberg.
Discussions center on the opening of crossings and roads in Taiz and other governorates, according to the announcement of the humanitarian armistice agreement, which the two parties agreed on Thursday to extend for two additional months.
The United Nations had announced a preliminary consensus between the Yemeni government and the Houthi group on a proposal to gradually reopen roads and crossings in the city of Taiz and other governorates, according to the armistice agreement.
It is noteworthy that the spokeswoman for the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Liz Throssell, said Friday in a statement that "the humanitarian situation is currently dire in the region, and accordingly we urge all parties to make serious efforts to ensure the reopening of roads leading to the city of Taiz, which has been besieged by the Houthis since 2015." .
"The people of the city face enormous challenges to obtain water, buy food, and access medical services," she added.
She noted that "many in Taiz, as in other areas of Yemen, are experiencing a lot of trauma in the context of the conflict due to high levels of armed violence and violations of international humanitarian law and international human rights law, including attacks targeting civilians."