HALO deminers trapped inside besieged Taiz warn of worsening humanitarian situation as Houthis encircle key city 

Around 30 staff from the HALO Trust, the world's largest humanitarian landmine clearance organisation, are among hundreds of thousands of civilians trapped in the frontline Yemeni city of Taiz, after Houthi fighters tightened their siege on the government-held enclave, cutting off all supply routes in or out.  

The blockade has effectively severed the last route through the mountains and valleys connecting the city to the interim capital of Aden. HALO teams on the ground in Taiz warn that vital food, water, fuel and medical supplies are dwindling as the humanitarian situation, already on the brink, worsens by the day.  

Heavy fighting continues to intensify around Taiz as the reignited civil war between the Internationally Recognised Government (IRG) and Houthi forces rages across the country. 

The trapped staff are part of HALO's mine clearance operation in Taiz. The region is heavily contaminated by landmines and other explosives left behind by years of conflict. 

One of those affected is a HALO employee who was outside the city when Houthi forces surrounded it. Her two young children and relatives fled north the same day but the roads between IRG and AA controlled areas have now closed, leaving her with no options to reunite with her children. 

"Behind this siege are real people facing impossible choices. Our staff are trapped in Taiz, separated from their families and uncertain when they’ll see their loved ones again", warns Mara van der Kamp, HALO Yemen Programme Manager.  

"Across the city, families are facing growing hardship as food, water and medical supplies become increasingly scarce. The longer this siege continues, the greater the suffering for civilians who have nowhere safe to turn."

More on our work in Yemen

• The UN's 2026 Yemen Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan estimates that 22.3 million people require humanitarian assistance, including 18.3 million facing acute food insecurity. More than 2.2 million children under five are acutely malnourished, including more than 516,000 suffering from severe acute malnutrition.

• HALO has worked in Yemen since 2019, starting in Aden, and beginning operations in Taiz in late 2022, with around 70 staff working across Aden, Taiz and Ad Dhale.

• Since 2019, HALO Yemen has made more than two million square metres of land safe, destroyed over 114 tonnes of explosives, and provided explosive-ordnance safety training to more than 58,000 people.

• HALO's Yemen programme is delivered in partnership with YEMAC.

• HALO trains and employs Yemeni staff in specialist mine-action roles.

About The HALO Trust

• The HALO Trust is the world's largest humanitarian landmine clearance organisation.

• HALO works in 30+ countries including Ukraine, Afghanistan, Yemen, Syria, Colombia, Angola and Sri Lanka.

• We deploy groundbreaking technology in conflict and post-conflict settings to help people rebuild their homes, restore their livelihoods and keep their children safe.

• HALO also runs programmes in weapons and ammunition management and safety training. During emergencies, we also provide humanitarian aid and logistical support.

• HALO was founded in 1988 in Afghanistan.

• We employ over 8,000 staff worldwide and recruit 95% of them locally.