Yemenis brave mountain paths to bring relief to Taiz

12/29/2015 12:53:40 AM

(MENAFN- Muscat Daily) Taiz-

Struggling under the weight of gas canisters plastic sacks and cardboard crates stuffed with necessities residents of Yemen's Taiz have taken to treacherous mountain paths to bring essential goods into their besieged city.

Men and women old and young pick their way along a jagged path leading to Taiz where a months-long siege by Shiite Houthi rebels has left even basic items in desperately short supply.

The weakest among them load their goods onto camels and donkeys. But even for sturdy beasts of burden the journey is a difficult one as they trip and stumble over the rocks jutting out along the way.

A donkey collapses and a crowd descends on it rushing to put it back on its feet.

Exhausted like its master the donkey starts back along the path towards a neighbourhood of Taiz at the bottom of the mountain.

The 600000 residents of the southwestern city are in desperate need of everything.

They have been caught in the crossfire between loyalists to Yemeni President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi who are defending their positions in Taiz and the Houthis who have encircled them.

Residents say humanitarian aid that the United Nations ordered to be distributed never reached them so more are taking to the mountain paths to bring it in by foot.

'We are trying to deliver these food products to Taiz to lighten the suffering of the besieged residents' said Adel al Shabie who lives in the city.

He blames the Houthis and their allies troops who remained loyal to former president Ali Abdullah Saleh for the residents' suffering.

'The Houthis and Saleh's supporters are blocking the roads' he said. 'Now we are forced to cross the mountains'.

'When you're weighed down with goods it's hard to catch your breath as you take the path down from the mountain' said Omar Hazaa puffing and panting as he took a break from the journey.

'As you can see the road is rocky. We have to cross 6km under a burning sun. We are hungry and we are thirsty' said Sultan Abdo another resident.

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