Houthis fueling a fuel crisis in Yemen

Ahmed Adel

Yemen’s economic crisis continues to intensify because of the practices of the Iran-backed Houthi militia.

There is an acute shortage of petroleum products in Yemeni capital Sana’a. This comes at the time the Houthis hold back hundreds of tanker trucks full of gasoline and diesel and restrict their distribution to the outlets they control.

The shortages are opening the door for black market dealings to thrive. However, black market traders are raising the prices of petroleum products in unimaginable manners. The same is happening in the case of other commodities that are also disappearing and are sold at the black market for prices far higher than their original prices.

The Houthi militia has reserved a place at the premises of the National Petroleum Company for refueling their cars. Ordinary Yemenis are not allowed to refuel their cars in the same places.

Tough living conditions

The fuel shortage compounds the tough living conditions of Yemeni citizens, especially in Sana’a and other areas controlled by the Houthis.

The Iran-backed militia has been stealing the salaries of civilian and military employees for five years now.

Yemeni Information Minister Muammar al-Eriani criticized the Houthis for keeping petroleum products for themselves, which is opening the door for the black market to thrive.

He said the Houthis had prevented over 150 tanker trucks loaded with petroleum products from entering the areas they control.

Apart from hindering the entry of the trucks to the cities they control, al-Eriani said, the Houthis threaten motorists and give them a hard time.

He said the Houthis claim that the petroleum products arriving in the cities they control do not meet standards.