SANAA, Yemen — Taiz province is in crisis — a crisis that is threatening to undermine its position as the cultural capital of Yemen, as officially named by President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi in 2012.

Taiz has the largest number of citizens in Yemen with 2.4 million people, which makes the tragedy even worse in a country facing the risk of famine. According to the National Information Center, Taiz accounts for 12.16% of Yemen’s citizens.

Taiz is important for Yemen’s political geography as it lies in the center of the southern provinces, which are under the control of Hadi’s forces, and the north provinces, which are under the control of former President Ali Abdullah Saleh’s forces and the Houthis. In addition, its southwestern coast overlooks the strategic Bab al-Mandab Strait, which sees one-third of oil trade daily. As a result, Taiz has become central to the current conflict, and militants are increasingly interested in controlling it.

Taiz is the base of civil political work, and most political party leaders and founders hail from it. It also boasts high literacy rates among its citizens. Therefore, controlling Taiz would send out a message to other regions that the party controlling it has come a long way in dominating the country.