Workshop Highlights Severe Water Crisis in Taiz City and Recommends Urgent Interventions and Sustainable Solutions
Humanitarian Media Center (HMC), in partnership with Coalition of Relief and Building and Fikr Organization for Development and Humanitarian Action, organized a workshop on Thursday in Taiz titled: “The Water Crisis in Taiz: Reality, Challenges, and Opportunities for Intervention.” The event brought together representatives from government entities, civil society organizations, experts, academics, activists, and community leaders.
At the opening of the workshop, Deputy Governor of Taiz, Rashad Al-Akkahli, stressed that the water crisis in Taiz is among the most complex and severe crises in Yemen. He called for unified efforts between local authorities and both international and local organizations to control this crisis, which directly affects citizens’ daily lives.
Dr. Jamal Al-Ramasi, water expert, presented a working paper outlining the current water crisis in Taiz and proposed potential solutions. He emphasized the need for a multi-tiered action plan that includes rehabilitating water networks, improving resource management, strengthening water governance, introducing low-cost technologies to enhance access to water, and building effective partnerships between the government, civil society, and humanitarian organizations.
Abdulraqib Al-Sharif, representing civil society organizations, highlighted the drastic reduction in the number of functioning wells due to the impact of war and environmental factors. This has led to an acute water shortage and a collapse of public services, especially in the context of the ongoing conflict in the country.
Engineer Wathiq Al-Aghbari, Director of the Taiz Public Water Corporation, outlined the current efforts to address the crisis. He spoke of the operational challenges facing the institution, including infrastructure destruction, limited funding, high operational costs, and constraints related to the security and logistical situation. He emphasized the urgent need for technical and institutional support to enhance the corporation’s response capacity.
Social activist Noha Al-Wajeeh presented a paper focusing on the social, economic, and health repercussions of the crisis. She noted that water prices have increased by over 400%, placing immense financial pressure on vulnerable families. This has led to reduced spending on food, healthcare, and education, increased internal displacement, and the rise of communal tensions and conflicts over water sources.
Al-Wajeeh warned of deteriorating public health conditions due to reliance on unsafe water sources, which has contributed to the spread of diseases such as cholera and poses particular risks to women and children.
Participants concluded that the water crisis in Taiz is a severe and urgent threat that cannot be postponed. It requires immediate collective action to address the root causes and establish practical, sustainable solutions that alleviate the suffering of the population and bolster their resilience. Tackling this crisis, they stressed, demands a long-term political and humanitarian commitment rooted in a participatory vision and real investment in this vital sector.
