Taiz Economy: Fuel Prices Hit 120,000 Riyals as Supply Lines Close

Resident Yousef Farhan once sold cucumbers from a cart in front of a school in Taiz, earning between 4,000 and 5,000 Yemeni riyals daily. That income allowed him to buy a monthly gas cylinder. Since the siege closed the school, his trade has stopped. The family, which includes his four children and a sister, now cooks over firewood. Farhan said he could not find alternative work because the siege halted many other jobs.

Taiz, home to approximately 1 million people, has been cut off since early October. The city lost its two main land routes this month. On October 3, government forces closed the eastern al-Houban crossing into Houthi-held territory. The following day, Houthi fighters took the town of al-Turbah, severing the Taiz-Al-Turbah-Aden Road, the primary supply line for goods.

The United Nations warned on October 20 that road closures and security issues were blocking vital supplies. Local data shows prices for available goods have more than doubled. Water production in the city dropped by half. Tanker-delivered water costs have roughly tripled since the fighting escalated, according to UN officials.

Fuel prices have risen sharply because stations have remained closed since October 5. A 20-litre container of petrol now costs 120,000 riyals, or about $77. This is four times the price from last year, which was 30,000 riyals. Diesel prices have nearly doubled, rising from 46,000 riyals to 90,000 riyals. Cooking gas cylinders increased from 11,400 riyals to 40,000 riyals. Bus fares jumped from 200 riyals to 500 riyals, a 150 percent increase.

The cost of living affects daily routines and medical care. Sayyun Burhan, 40, said her family lives day-to-day. Her husband lost his job at a local store, and his health prevents him from finding other work. Burhan keeps her children inside to protect them from shelling, depriving them of schooling and play.

Fatima Khaled, 55, suffers from kidney failure. She sleeps on the floor of the dialysis hall at Al-Jumhuri General Hospital because she cannot afford a room or repeated travel from her village. Khaled described the hospital hall as her only shelter. The World Health Organization stated on October 22 that 42 health facilities in Taiz reported severe shortages of fuel, oxygen, and medicine.

Local authorities say access restrictions prevent tankers from the Al-Dhabab basin from entering the city, worsening water shortages. Diesel shortages have also disrupted water pumps and hospital generators. The next scheduled check on supply routes is pending as both sides maintain their control over the closed crossings.