Living near Taiz's front line forces families to make difficult choices amid sniper threats and economic hardship

Living near Taiz's front line forces families to make difficult choices amid sniper threats and economic hardship. Um Yousef, a single mother of four in her 40s, knew the area was dangerous but felt she had no choice. Her husband died years ago while working abroad, leaving her as the sole breadwinner in a country where poverty has surged since the war began over a decade ago.

She could not afford the typical market rate of about $130 for a three-bedroom house in the central Yemeni city. After eight months of moving from one area to another, even searching the outskirts, she found a home near the front line for about $13 a month. She moved there in January 2025. Two months later, her 11-year-old son came inside with blood pouring from his mouth after being shot while playing outside.

She did not hear any gunfire. The cause was likely sniper fire, a constant threat in Taiz. The city's front line is one of the few that runs through an urban area, and its hilly geography with an overlooking mountain offers numerous vantage points for snipers.

A United Nations monitoring project found that 66 percent of all civilian casualties from sniper shootings in Yemen last year were in Taiz, with nine of the 21 cases involving children. Fortunately, her son's injuries were not as serious as feared; he was treated at the hospital and discharged the next day. The incident made Um Yousef confront the reality of where she had brought her children, but she still cannot afford to move. She has no choice but to stay and learn ways to reduce the risk.