Human Rights Watch said that Yemen's Houthi rebels are preventing vital aid from entering the besieged western city of Taiz.

The rebels have for months restricted food and medical supplies to Yemen's third-largest city, in what it described in a statement as "serious violations of international humanitarian law", ABC News reported on Sunday.

"The Houthis are denying necessities to residents of Taiz because they happen to be living in areas that opposition forces control," said Joe Stork, deputy Middle East director at Human Rights Watch. "Seizing property from civilians is already unlawful, but taking their food and medical supplies is simply cruel".

Source: MENA