Dozens killed in missile strike on Taiz market amid escalating Yemen conflict

ADEN — Dozens of people were killed in Yemen on Friday when a missile struck a market in the Taiz governorate, intensifying a severe humanitarian crisis as fighting escalates between the internationally recognised government and Houthi rebels.

The deadly market strike comes amid a broad military escalation that began when Yemen’s internationally recognised government launched the “Dawn of Yemen” offensive on October 5. Led by Rashad al-Alimi, head of the Presidential Leadership Council, the operation relies on ground troops and air support from the Saudi-led coalition with the stated aim of recapturing Houthi-controlled areas and liberating the capital, Sanaa, which has been under rebel control since September 2014.

Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council stated that the government will continue with its drive to dismantle Houthi military capacity and restore sovereignty.

Government military spokesperson Colonel Majed al-Nazili stated that the Houthis hit the al-Hadara market with ballistic missiles, describing the attack as a war crime. The Iran-backed Houthis rejected the accusation regarding the market strike and stated that Saudi Arabia was responsible.

The renewed conflict has severely worsened conditions for civilians across the country. According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), more than 323,000 people have been displaced in Yemen since the escalation began in August.

The UN Human Rights Office reported 281 civilian casualties since August, with 69 people killed and 212 injured. Children make up more than one-third of these casualties.

Infrastructure is also buckling under the strain of blockades and ongoing hostilities. According to Ilan Abdul Haw, about 40 percent of hospitals in Taiz have closed, while the remaining facilities operate at only 50 percent capacity due to severe fuel shortages under the Houthi blockade.