Taiz (South24)

The Chairman of the Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council (PLC), Rashad Al-Alimi, arrived in Taiz today for his first visit since assuming office in April 2022. This marks the first presidential visit to the densely populated city since the outbreak of the war.

Video clips broadcast by the official Yemeni satellite channel showed Al-Alimi in an armored vehicle in a convoy, which included, according to press sources, PLC members Abdullah Al-Alimi and Othman Majali, along with former Yemeni Defense Minister Mahmoud Al-Subaihi.

In Al-Turbah, a city west of Taiz, Al-Alimi was greeted by hundreds of citizens who waved to him for several minutes before he returned to his military vehicle amid tight security measures.

Al-Alimi traveled to Taiz from the capital, Aden, in South Yemen, via a land route through Lahj Governorate. This main road has been crucial to Taiz for nearly a decade, supplying food and fuel to its people throughout the siege imposed by the Houthis.

During the visit to Taiz, eyewitnesses and local media said that a military vehicle belonging to a Saudi force accompanying Al-Alimi overturned and two Saudi soldiers were injured.

#BREAKING

Local media: An armoured vehicle of Al-Alimi's protection team overturned during his visit to #Taiz#south24 pic.twitter.com/52C4TpeLVf

— South24 | English (@South24E) August 27, 2024

Al-Alimi's visit is expected to focus on service, development, and economic issues in Taiz, with the Houthis stationed on its outskirts and controlling large areas in the northern, eastern, and western regions.

The city has seen continuous protests in recent years, with demonstrators demanding improved services, particularly electricity, treatment for those wounded by war, and higher salaries. These same demands have been sparking similar demonstrations in cities in South Yemen.

The security and military situation is also considered one of the most prominent issues on Al-Alimi's table, with dozens of fronts in the governorate engaged in conflict with the Houthis, along with the presence of unofficial military and security forces outside the control of the Ministry of Defense.

Al-Turbah holds particular importance on the list of important issues as the city is the center of the Ash-Shamayateen district, which is home to dangerous elements classified as terrorists by security services in Aden. Judicial rulings have been issued against some of these individuals for their involvement in deadly bombings.

In June, Taiz witnessed a significant event when the Houthis lifted the siege on the Al-Hawban road, a key route that had been closed for nearly ten years, dividing Taiz between the internationally recognized government and the Houthis.