Drop Site is a reader-funded, independent news outlet. Without your support, we can’t operate. Please consider becoming a paid subscriber or making a 501(c)(3) tax-deductible donation today.

TAIZ CITY, Yemen—Hana Bagash never imagined that, one day, she would have to flee Taiz, the city in southwestern Yemen where she was born and raised. But in early October, as fighting intensified around the city between Saudi-backed government forces and Ansarallah, the 40-year-old mother of four decided it was no longer safe for herself and her children and decided to flee. “On October 2, I coordinated with my sister in the town of Al-Turbah, who rented a house for us. I took my children and fled the city,” Bagash told Drop Site News. Her husband is currently working in Djibouti, so she had to make the move alone.

Al-Turbah, located in Taiz governorate some 70 kilometers south of Taiz city, was safe when she arrived. Just two days later, Ansarallah (also known as the Houthis) took control of the town following the withdrawal of government forces. The transition was peaceful, she said, and the area, at first, remained safe for Bagash’s family.

“There was no fighting in Turbah, but airstrikes began hitting the town. One fell very close to our house, terrifying all of us,” she recalled, referring to bombing by the Saudi-led coalition. “We felt as if we were in the middle of a battle.”

On October 12, Bagash decided to return to Taiz city, but she heard there were clashes on the main road back. The next day, she took her children and fled to Al-Nagesha, her ancestral village, four kilometers from Turbah. While the village was safe, it is remote, with no running water, electricity, or internet.

“Life wasn’t good in the village, but it was our only choice,” she added. Less than two weeks later, on October 27, fighting reached Al-Nagesha, trapping Bagash and her family in the crossfire.

“After two days, we barely managed to escape back to Turbah. My children were terrified and are now suffering from psychological trauma from what they endured in the village,” she explained. “It was horrifying to suddenly find ourselves trapped in the middle of active fighting.”

The main road linking Taiz city with the southern and western parts of the governorate was still open. A bus driver who traverses the route between Turbah and Taiz city told Bagash the road was safe. On November 1, she rode with him and returned to her home in the city, filled with regret for ever leaving.

“I regret fleeing the city. If I had stayed, we wouldn’t have suffered through the trauma of displacement,” she added. “I am not the only one; I know others who fled and have since returned, deeply regretting their decision.”

“Taiz city is still safer”

Ansarallah forces have seized control of vast areas across Taiz governorate and surround Taiz city from all directions, but active ground combat has not reached the city center itself. Taiz city suffers from shortages of fuel, food, water, medicine, and cooking gas, along with skyrocketing prices for basic items as a result of a siege that the UN and rights groups primarily blame Ansarallah for. However, much like the rest of Taiz governorate, the city remains relatively safe from direct battles compared to surrounding areas.

Conversely, fierce combat continues between Ansarallah forces, which are backed by Iran, and troops of the internationally recognized government (IRG), backed by Saudi Arabia, along the border of Lahj and Taiz governorates; the Houthis launched an advance towards Lahj last week to push the frontline further into government territory. Bagash’s village lies directly between Taiz and Lahj, so her family witnessed some of the heaviest fighting.

In the rural areas of Taiz governorate controlled by Ansarallah, civilians are faced with the ever present threat of Saudi-led airstrikes. Civilians have been killed in the attacks, and while the number is disputed, many people nevertheless live in constant fear of the bombardment.

Over the past ten days, the clashes along the road have subsided, according to bus and truck drivers with knowledge of the route, and it has remained safe to leave or enter Taiz city, even with the siege and with rising food and fuel prices. Although schools and most public institutions are closed, there has not been a wave of displacement out of the city.

“No place is completely safe in Taiz governorate,” Haitham Shamsan, 39, a resident of Taiz city, told Drop Site. “The clashes are surrounding Taiz city, but they haven’t reached it yet. If we flee to another area in Taiz governorate, we might face an even worse situation with airstrikes and shifting battlefronts.”

Shamsan works as a procurement officer for a company in Taiz. He believes that if he or any other employee flees, they risk losing their jobs, which would make survival even harder given how difficult it is to find work.

“For now, I still have a source of income, and the fighting is far enough away. But if the company closes and the battles reach the city, we will definitely flee. Right now, I believe Taiz city is still safer than some other areas in the governorate,” Shamsan said.

He also referenced the experience of families like Bagash’s, who fled the city only to end up trapped in the middle of heavy fighting before ultimately returning. He believes people should stay in their homes unless combat directly enters the city.

But some residents without employment have fled to other governorates, such as Aden, both out of fear the fighting may eventually enter the city and to allow their children to continue their education as schools in Taiz remain closed.

“Fleeing Taiz city for another governorate is a good decision, but most residents simply don’t have the money. A family of four needs at least $2,000 to move,” Shamsan added.

Ali Qaed, manager of the Executive Unit for Displaced Persons, an official government body, in Taiz governorate, confirmed that “only a negligible few have left the city, and most of them displaced to Aden and Lahj governorates.”

He added, “At the same time, more than 50,000 people have reached the city during the last two months because they consider it safer than their home areas.”

Airstrikes and Ground Fighting

Mahyoub Ahmed, a farmer in his fifties from Jabal Habashi district, 40 kilometers (25 miles) south of Taiz city, usually only visits the city to seek medical healthcare or attend family celebrations.

In early October, however, his village was turned into a conflict zone between Ansarallah and government forces, trapping him and dozens of other families for four days.

“The worst part was that there was no communication network, so we couldn’t call anyone to find out what was happening around us,” Ahmed told Drop Site. “We were lost for four days in the middle of the fighting.”

As soon as the clashes quieted down, Ahmed and dozens of other families hired cars, gathered their belongings, and fled to Taiz city. However, despite having contacts there, finding decent shelter in Taiz city proved difficult. With home rents far out of reach for a farmer who could barely afford transportation, Ahmed now lives with his wife and six children in a single room inside the basement of an unfinished building.

“Life here isn’t easy because we lack basic services, but it is safe,” he added. “Some relatives and generous people help us with food, and that is enough for now, safety is all I care about.”

Although Ahmed’s village is now fully under Ansarallah control and active clashes have ceased, he remains fearful of recurring airstrikes in the area. He has decided to stay in the city until his home village is completely safe.

Taiz is Yemen’s third-largest city. Sources estimate its population at between 600,000 and 900,000, though this figure has been reshaped by the recent wave of displacement.

According to new figures from the International Organization for Migration, more than 300,000 people have been forced to flee their homes amid escalating fighting in western Yemen, almost all within the past two months.

Most displaced families arriving to Taiz city are being hosted by relatives, Qaed said, as they cannot afford to rent homes amid skyrocketing housing demand and soaring prices.

“Sometimes we see one family hosting five families of relatives who arrived in the city, and all of them are vulnerable,” he added, noting that other displaced families are living in unfinished buildings lacking all basic services.

Qaed emphasized that the need in Taiz city is massive, noting that while some cash assistance is provided by humanitarian organizations, “it is nothing compared to the overwhelming demand.”

NOTE: The reporter for this story has been granted anonymity because of the security situation in Yemen.

Leave a comment

Share