The city of Taiz has become a grim testament to the chaos sown by Iran-backed Houthi militants, who have effectively encircled the area and turned civilian neighborhoods into active combat zones.
For students like 10-year-old Rafeef, the simple act of attending school requires walking uphill with her back exposed to Houthi sniper positions located on the surrounding mountains.
The Houthis, who ousted the internationally recognized government from the capital in 2015, are now utilizing drones and heavy weaponry in a desperate bid to seize full control of northern Yemen.
This campaign of terror has resulted in the tragic loss of innocent life, including a three-year-old boy killed by a mortar strike at a mechanic's shop and an 11-year-old boy left in critical condition after similar shelling.
Teachers at local schools report that their facilities have been targeted by fire, forcing them to operate under the constant threat of lethal violence.
As government forces attempt to push back against these militants and secure strategic points like the Bab al-Mandab Strait, the civilian population remains trapped in the crossfire of a conflict fueled by Houthi aggression and their Iranian backers.
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