Yemen Monitor/News room
On Friday, the government committee for opening roads in Taiz Governorate (southwestern Yemen) announced a new initiative to open the main roads leading to Taiz city, which the Houthis have refused to open since 2015.
The committee said in its statement: “With the approach of the holy month of Ramadan, we assure for everyone that we are fully prepared to immediately begin taking all measures that will provide all the facilities for citizens to move from all governorates to Taiz, and vice versa”.
The committee’s statement announced the readiness to open the two main roads:
Hawd Al-Ashraf – Aqabat Munif Al-Houbban Sana’a road.-
Old Airport Road – Hadran Al-Barh Hodeidah road.-
Starting from 10:00 am on Saturday, March 2, 2024.
The committee called on the Houthis to “be honest with God and the Yemeni people at least this time, and to respond to the initiative that coincides with the coming of the holy month of Ramadan.
The committee called on all the Yemeni people to know who stands with them and their homeland honestly, and who stands for the position of bidding, extortion, and subservience to others in all their positions.
The new initiative comes after the Houthis rejected the previous initiative, which was announced a few days ago by the governor of Taiz, Nabil Shamsan, and the leadership of the army and security in the governorate, by opening the “Aqabat Munif – Farzat Sana’a Al-Houbban” road from one side.
The government initiatives regarding the opening of the roads have so far been met with rejection and intransigence from the Houthis, who announced on Wednesday the opening of a number of secondary roads linking the areas of Taiz governorate with the rest of the other areas.
According to the Houthi-affiliated SABA agency, Al-Khamasin – Al-Sittin Road and Haifan – Tur Al-Bahah asphalt road, which connects Taiz governorate with the southern governorates, were opened (all of which are secondary roads not dedicated to the passage of trucks and heavy vehicles).
The Houthis had previously announced their rejection of the initiative of the member of the Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council, the governor of Marib, Sultan bin Ali Al-Arada, to open the road linking Marib and Sana’a from one side
The Houthis are also closing the main roads linking Aden to Taiz, as well as those linking Taiz to Sana’a, Al-Dhale’ to Aden, and Al-Bayda to Yafe, forcing civilians to resort to dangerous mountain roads that have caused hundreds of deaths over the past years.
