The Houthis’ Calculations in Taiz and Gaza: Political Contradictions and a Tragic Reality

By: Saleem Al-Najashi

While the Houthis impose a suffocating blockade on the city of Taiz, its residents endure daily suffering exacerbated by the deterioration of alternative routes forced upon them due to the siege. These roads, once mere secondary paths, have become the sole means of transportation between Taiz and other cities. However, they suffer from severe congestion and dilapidation. With the heavy traffic of vehicles and trucks, dust clouds rise to unbearable levels, turning life into a living hell. This dust has become a primary cause of respiratory diseases among the population, especially the elderly, women, and children, leading to many deaths under these harsh environmental conditions. As a result, some families have been compelled to flee their homes in search of cleaner air and better living conditions, though displacement has only added to their hardships elsewhere.

The alternative routes used by Taiz residents have turned into open fields of danger. Vehicle and truck accidents are commonplace, with cargo trucks frequently overturning, claiming the lives of drivers and their crews. Similarly, passenger buses often meet with serious accidents on these dilapidated roads, resulting in casualties, including women and children. This tragic reality makes access to schools and universities nearly impossible. Children face enormous difficulties commuting between villages and towns due to the state of these roads, leading to frequent absenteeism or dropouts from education. University students face similar challenges, as many are unable to reach their campuses due to the lack of reliable transportation and the condition of the roads.

Despite this daily suffering, the Houthis insist on portraying themselves as defenders of the Palestinian cause, making Gaza’s plight a central theme of their political rhetoric. Yet, this rhetoric starkly contrasts with their actions. While the Houthis claim hostility toward America and Israel, they simultaneously maintain indirect alliances with major international powers like the U.S. and Israel by continuing to benefit from their indirect support in their conflict against the Saudi-led Arab coalition. The Houthis appear to have become the favored allies of the U.S. and Israel in the region, where their interests converge indirectly. This contradiction between their rhetoric and actions reflects a state of political duplicity that places the Houthis in a peculiar position—brandishing slogans of support for Palestine while starving and destroying the lives of their own people in Taiz.

At the same time, the Houthis, who claim to be on the front lines for Palestine, continue to draw closer to major international powers such as the U.S. and Israel. From the era of President Barack Obama to that of Donald Trump, the Houthis have enjoyed indirect support in their struggle against the Saudi-led Arab coalition. They have seemingly become a cherished ally of the U.S. and Israel in the region, where mutual interests align. This complex relationship reveals how the Houthis, despite their claims of championing the oppressed, have become part of a broader political equation driven by their strategic interests rather than their principles.

The suffering of the Yemeni people, however, extends beyond the blockade of Taiz. The Houthis’ oppression has reached the Red and Arabian Seas, where they have targeted commercial vessels. This targeting, reflecting the Houthis’ political calculations, has endangered maritime trade, disrupted oil exports from Yemeni ports, and exacerbated the economic crisis in areas under the legitimate government’s control. The continuous threat has significantly worsened the economic situation, with oil export disruptions eliminating a critical source of government revenue. This has contributed to the unprecedented collapse of the Yemeni rial and increased the daily hardships faced by citizens.

The deteriorating economy has had catastrophic effects on Yemenis’ lives. The legitimate government has struggled to pay employees’ salaries regularly, further deepening their suffering. Thousands of Yemeni families can no longer meet their basic needs, amplifying poverty and hunger across the country. This economic decline, reflected in the collapse of the national currency, has escalated social unrest and extinguished the hope of many citizens for a brighter future.

However, the suffering is not confined to Taiz or areas under the legitimate government’s control. It also extends to Houthi-held regions, where citizens face unprecedented oppression and starvation. The Houthis impose their iron grip on these areas, forcing citizens to work without pay or for half salaries issued once every three months, intensifying their economic struggles. Additionally, the Houthis levy heavy taxes on citizens, traders, and small business owners, further burdening them amidst deteriorating economic conditions.

A stark manifestation of this oppression is the authority wielded by Houthi supervisors over citizens’ lives, compelling total submission to militia rule while threatening those who resist or criticize the status quo. Furthermore, the Houthis systematically erode cultural and religious identities, imposing specific ideologies on society and persecuting those who dissent. While engaging in such oppressive practices, the Houthis prioritize military mobilization and enhancing their arsenal, showing little regard for improving living conditions or addressing humanitarian crises.

The events in Taiz and their repercussions on Yemen’s economy and the Red Sea are not merely local issues but glaring examples of the injustice Yemenis face under Houthi rule. By besieging Taiz, threatening maritime trade, and crippling the national economy, the Houthis continue to impose unbearable suffering on the Yemeni people while exploiting the Palestinian cause for their gain. They oppress their people in both the north and south, plunging them into hunger and poverty, all while raising empty slogans of resistance for political leverage.

The realities in Taiz and Gaza expose the deep political contradictions shaping the region. In Taiz, civilians face siege, starvation, and death at every corner, while Palestinians in Gaza endure similar conditions under occupation. However, what sets the Houthis apart is their adoption of a resistance narrative that starkly contrasts with their actions. Speaking of supporting Gaza while besieging their people in Taiz can only be understood as narrow political maneuvering aimed at securing specific interests, whether regionally or internationally.

The suffering in Taiz demands the international community take responsibility. This ongoing crime against humanity cannot persist in silence as civilian suffering grows daily. The siege on Taiz is not merely a local conflict but a war on life itself—a war on hope and the future. All this while the Houthis raise slogans of supporting the Palestinian people as they continue to block roads and destroy the lives of their own.