Military escalation in the Taiz countryside and controversy over the readiness of schools in Egypt

Field data and local sources indicate that the Houthi group is seeking to expand its control in the western countryside of Taiz, and cut off the remaining supply and link routes between the city of Taiz and areas under government control, which may bring back to the fore the scenario of siege that the city suffered during the years of war.

The Houthi movements come in light of the changes that occurred in the map of control on the western coast, which allowed the group, according to the sources, to attempt to advance from the Al-Kadha front towards the depth of the western countryside of Taiz Governorate, taking advantage of the rugged mountainous nature that limits the movement of military vehicles.

According to residents and local sources, during the past few days, Houthi elements penetrated a number of western rural areas from the Al-Kadha front, and carried out a bypass operation against government forces through the Bani Omar area, passing through the village of Al-Ahraz, towards the village of Al-Ajram, in an attempt to reach the asphalt road linking the city of Al-Turbah, and the center of Al-Hajriyah, to the city of Taiz.

According to sources, members of the group use motorcycles or move on foot in some areas, due to the difficult terrain and rugged roads. However, the government forces, supported by the resistance, were able to defeat the attackers to the borders of the Al-Ghail areas with Al-Wazi'iyah, and seized heavy equipment and vehicles left by the Houthis during the confrontations.

The sources also talk about the continued Houthi expansion in the isolation of Bani Bakari in the Jabal Habashi District, with the group’s elements stationed in a number of villages and attempts to control the mountain highlands overlooking the region.

According to the same sources, Houthi pressure is focused on the areas of Bani Omar and Bani Bakari, with the group seeking to reach the important heights in Jabal Habashi and control the highest heights in the district.

In Khadir District, local sources talk about the Houthis continuing to send military reinforcements to the city of Al-Dimna, in conjunction with movements in the Al-Aqroud area in Al-Misrakh District and towards Al-Salu District, near the contact lines with government forces.

Local observers believe that the expansion of the scope of Houthi military movements during the recent period has led to the expansion of the theater of operations in Taiz Governorate, especially after the changes witnessed on the western coast, which makes the roads linking Taiz and areas under government control in the Lahj and Aden governorates a major focus of the confrontation.

During the years of war, access to the city of Taiz and its ports turned into one of the most prominent military and humanitarian issues in the governorate, after the main roads leading to the city were cut off or narrowed, which made the movement of residents, goods, supplies, and services more difficult.

The importance of the western countryside stems from its being part of the road network linking Taiz with the southern and western regions, reaching Lahj and Aden on the one hand, and the western coast and the port of Mokha on the other hand. Therefore, controlling the heights and roads in this region does not only carry local importance, but it could affect the ability of government forces to secure supply and movement lines between Taiz and the areas under their control.

According to local sources, the map of fortifications and defenses around Taiz has become more extensive and complex compared to the previous stages of the war, and includes a series of highlands and mountainous areas extending from the north of the Jabal Habashi district, through the areas of Al-Mashawla, Bani Omar, Rasin, Al-Maqtara, and Haifan in the south, all the way to Sami’, Al-Salw, and Al-Aqroud in the east, in addition to the contact lines surrounding the city of Taiz from its various sides.

This expansion poses great challenges to the government forces, as the confrontation is no longer limited to specific fronts around the city, but has become linked to controlling a wide network of mountains, roads and corridors that can be used in bypass and infiltration operations and cutting off supply lines.

The importance of this equation increases with the Houthis controlling the two main roads that connected Taiz to the western coast. The first is from the north, through Al-Barah Junction, and the second is through Al-Kadha axis towards the coast and the port of Mocha, according to local sources.

In the face of these developments, calls are increasing within Taiz to strengthen the internal front, unify the efforts of the various political and military forces and social components, and overcome internal differences, in conjunction with benefiting from fighters returning from the western coast fronts in strengthening the governorate’s defense lines.

Those who make these calls believe that the priority at the current stage is to prevent the Houthis from closing the last crossings linking Taiz to areas under government control, especially the road leading south to Lahj and Aden.

Local observers point out that any new Houthi advance in the western countryside should not be viewed as a limited military movement, but rather as part of a broader conflict over the roads, heights, and supply lines surrounding the governorate.

In the areas that witnessed Houthi advances, local sources reported that a number of residents left their homes. Some people in the region believe that this displacement is not only related to direct security concerns, but also reflects a social rejection of the group’s rule.

This rejection, according to this vision, constitutes an ongoing challenge for the Houthis in the areas they control, as military control does not necessarily mean achieving sustainable social acceptance.

The Houthi movements in the western countryside of Taiz place the governorate before a new phase of military and security challenge, in light of the expansion of the theater of operations, the multiplicity of fronts, and the decline of some defense lines on the western coast.

Observers warn that the expansion of the fronts makes unifying anti-Houthi forces, strengthening defense lines, and securing supply routes crucial factors in preventing the isolation of the city of Taiz from its surroundings and areas under government control.

Controversy accompanied the infrastructure of public schools in Egypt and the extent of their readiness to receive students at the start of the new academic year on Sunday, especially with the appearance of the Minister of Education, Mohamed Abdel Latif, on a tour of a number of schools, during which aspects of organization and cleanliness appeared clear. This coincided with calls on social media for the minister to inspect schools in other regions to see their difficult conditions.

The school year officially began in Egypt on Saturday, September 12, which is a weekly holiday in most schools. Therefore, momentum emerged for the start of the educational process on Sunday, with classes continuing in a large number of schools.

The controversy over the readiness of schools, in terms of their infrastructure and the budgets allocated for their development, erupted days before the start of the academic year, against the backdrop of a tour by the governor of Qalyubia to a number of schools, which revealed the severe deterioration they were suffering from. The tour included strict positions by the governor towards the employees, including reprimanding the principals of two schools, which the Ministry of Education later remedied by honoring the principals in appreciation of their efforts in serving their schools.

As school began, a female parent posted on Facebook a video clip of a classroom in a school in the city of Mansoura, showing its ceiling covered with metal panels instead of concrete, in a scene she described as unsafe, calling on officials to intervene and asking: “How do you start the educational process in a classroom like this?” Another woman also re-published the clip in the “Educational Community Dialogue” group on WhatsApp, which includes officials, experts, and parents, and commented, saying: “Is this a classroom or a kiosk?”

In contrast, schools appeared during the Minister of Education’s tour with a brilliant appearance, competing in the beauty of the classrooms, their equipment, and the density of students in them, competing with private schools.

Another guardian invited the minister to visit the schools of the Kerdasa area in Giza on a surprise visit, “to see the unimaginable,” according to his comment on the ministry’s statement.

During his first tour of two schools in Kafr El-Sheikh Governorate (Nile Delta), one for secondary education and the other for basic education, the Minister praised “the regularity of the first school day and the readiness of the classrooms to receive students,” stressing the need to adhere to discipline within schools and pay attention to the general appearance of students, which contributes to providing a disciplined and appropriate educational environment for the educational process, according to a statement by the Ministry. He also pointed out “the importance of continuing field monitoring within schools, to ensure achieving discipline, monitoring the level of students, supporting teachers, and providing an educational environment that helps achieve the desired goals of the educational process.”

In Gharbia Governorate, the Egyptian Minister inspected 3 schools and reassured them of their readiness to receive students at the beginning of the school year. He also discussed a number of issues related to the progress of the educational process and the implementation of the new curriculum, according to an official statement.

Educational expert Dalia Al-Hazzawi said, “It is customary to prepare for the minister’s tours of schools,” calling for the activation of quality committee visits to all schools throughout the academic year, to listen to the complaints of students and teachers and determine the conditions of schools, in her interview with Asharq Al-Awsat.

Regarding school maintenance, Minister Abdel Latif said: “Simple maintenance, including paint, electricity, and discs, is supposed to be carried out by the governorates, according to the state’s organizational structure and budget,” stressing at the same time that “the Ministry supports maintenance through the Educational Buildings Authority,” pointing out that 95 percent of the schools in Egypt are government.

The number of students in pre-university education in Egypt is estimated at 28.9 million students during the 2024-2025 academic year, according to the Central Bureau of Statistics.