Michigan – The American Center for Justice (ACJ), in a new analytical study titled “The Political Significance of the Siege of Taiz”, stated that the blockade imposed by the Houthi group on the city since 2015 has not been a temporary military condition, but rather a systematic policy that amounts to a war crime directly targeting the civilian population. The study explained that this conclusion was based on documentation gathered by the Center, building on a previous report released in July 2024 titled “Siege of Taiz: A Humanitarian Crisis”, which detailed major violations of international humanitarian law and human rights, as well as the catastrophic humanitarian conditions created by the siege.
The study, prepared by researcher Wissam Muhammad and reviewed by Dr. Mustafa Al-Jabzi, emphasized that the siege of Taiz constitutes one of the central outcomes of the Houthis’ coup and their takeover of state institutions. The city, having mounted both civil and military resistance against the group’s project, became the target of a clear retaliatory policy. From this perspective, the study noted, the Houthi group transformed the siege into a tool of systematic punishment that extends beyond immediate military objectives to become a fixed strategy. This strategy has profoundly affected the city’s social and economic fabric, dismantled its civic structure, disrupted public services, and even weaponized basic needs such as water and the environment as means of pressure and punishment.
According to the study’s documentation, the siege, ongoing for more than eight years, has led to the total collapse of essential services, depriving hundreds of thousands of civilians of their rights to food, medicine, water, education, and freedom of movement. This has exacerbated humanitarian suffering and produced catastrophic conditions across all aspects of daily life. Data also revealed thousands of casualties, including killed and injured civilians, including hundreds of children and women, as a result of shelling, sniper fire, and direct targeting, in addition to thousands of others who lost their lives due to the denial of medical care and treatment.
The analytical study added that the prolonged duration of the siege has transformed it from a narrow military tactic into a comprehensive strategy aimed at achieving long-term political, social, and economic objectives. It stressed that this strategy constitutes a blatant violation of international humanitarian law and the Geneva Conventions, amounting to a war crime that requires investigation and accountability.
In light of these findings, the study called on the international community and the United Nations to assume their legal and humanitarian responsibilities by taking urgent action to lift the siege on Taiz fully and immediately, ensuring freedom of movement for civilians and unrestricted delivery of humanitarian aid. It also underlined the necessity of referring the siege dossier to the relevant international mechanisms, including the Human Rights Council and the United Nations, and holding those responsible accountable before international justice.
The study concluded by affirming that the continuation of the siege represents a stain on humanity’s conscience and a compounded crime. It stressed that lifting the siege, holding perpetrators accountable, compensating victims, and reconstructing what has been destroyed are ethical and legal imperatives that cannot be delayed, and that these steps are essential prerequisites for any peace process or just political settlement in Yemen.
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