Houthi siege tightens on Taiz as UN demands humanitarian access

UN warns of catastrophe as the Houthi siege on Yemen's Taiz cuts off humanitarian supplies, with fighting killing dozens of civilians since August.

• Government forces repelled a Houthi assault on Taiz launched Tuesday from three axes, with shelling killing and wounding civilians in the city's west.
• UN rights chief Volker Turk demanded immediate humanitarian access to Taiz, saying the Houthi closure of the Aden supply route is blocking aid.
• Local authorities raised the Shabwa attack death toll to 73 from Monday's Houthi ballistic missile strike on the al-Alam military camp.
• The UK said it would deploy Typhoon fighter jets on a defensive mission to protect Saudi Arabia from Houthi rocket and drone attacks.
• Yemen's Southern Transitional Council president Aidarous al-Zoubaidi condemned the Shabwa missile strike, saying Houthi crimes against the south will not lapse with time.
• Yemeni Information Minister adviser Faisal al-Awadhi said forces advanced in the 'Fajr al-Yemen' battle, recapturing and clearing sites in Taiz.
• Authorities reported at least three civilians killed and nine wounded in two Houthi attacks on Taiz, including a Katyusha rocket strike on the Al-Saina district.
• Houthi forces attacked an ambulance in Taiz, killing a wounded girl and the driver and injuring a doctor amid severe medical shortages.
• Government forces said they killed around 100 Houthi fighters in Taiz, with 98 dead and 148 wounded among Houthi ranks during Tuesday's clashes.
• The military spokesman announced 744 precision strikes against Houthi targets within 24 hours, and the coalition intercepted two attacks targeting Riyadh.
• The Houthi military spokesman accused Saudi Arabia of carrying out 93 airstrikes across multiple governorates, which he said caused civilian casualties.