YEMEN-SECURITY/SANAA MOOD Diversion of aid ships in Yemen spreads fear of shortages

Record ID: 144735

  • Title: YEMEN-SECURITY/SANAA MOOD Diversion of aid ships in Yemen spreads fear of shortages
  • Date: 7th August 2015
  • Summary: SANAA, YEMEN (AUGUST 6, 2015) (REUTERS) CARS ON ROAD CARS DRIVING NEAR GAS STATION VARIOUS OF CLOSED GAS STATION MEN STANDING AT GAS STATION, ONE MAN TALKING ON PHONE GAS PUMP CARS PARKED AT GAS STATION (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) SANAA RESIDENT, SAMIR AL-JARBANI, SAYING: "Now that they are diverting the ships to the port of Aden, people in northern Sanaa and its surroundings are
  • Embargoed: 22nd August 2015 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Yemen
  • Country: Yemen
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVA4CJTZ6G7R13QOTYPTSOFT9D3B
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Residents in the Yemeni capital Sanaa were stocking up on rare food and fuel supplies on Thursday (August 6) after the government in exile decided to divert aid ships from the Houthi rebel-held north to loyalist areas farther south.
    Sources in Yemen's government confirmed the move, though there has been no official announcement, and Yemen's exiled information minister said on Tuesday (August 4) commercial flights would be diverted from the capital to the southern port of Aden.
    "Now that they are diverting the ships to the port of Aden, people in northern Sanaa and its surroundings are worried. Areas like Umran and Thamar, what will their fate be? People are scared - children, women, men, and families - what will their future entail?" said Sanaa resident Samir al-Jarbani.
    Functioning gas stations in the capital are few and far between, and since the March 26 launch of the Saudi-led coalition airstrikes aimed at ousting the Iran-backed Houthis from their strongholds, Yemenis across the country have been suffering from severe food and fuel shortages.
    The decision to divert the aid ships came as southern fighters backed by weapons and air strikes by neighbouring Gulf states have made rapid gains on southern battlefields against the Iran-allied Houthis.
    "They are starving the capital Sanaa and the Yemeni people. They (coalition countries) are surrounding us and starving us. But we are one people, we don't have a problem with each other. They should allow the port of Aden to operate and the port of Hudaida to operate and import food stuffs to all the citizens so they can eat," Sanaa resident Saleh Ansi said.
    Residents in the capital have been scrambling to stock up on food from stores as the black market price for 20 litres of petrol jumped to 60 dollars in recent days compared to an official price of 15 dollars.
    The Arab coalition has enforced a near-blockade on the country to prevent arms shipments, but had for almost four months allowed trade and aid vessels to dock at Houthi-controlled ports to relieve hungry and impoverished Yemenis in the north.
    "If they are going to divert to the Aden port then this is a dangerous initiative and requires that we stand firm against it," said Sanaa resident Ahmed Rashed.
    "All the Yemeni people should come out strongly against it and demand the trial and accountability of President Hadi and his government and to all those that support them," he added.
    The Houthi movement, hailing from a Shi'ite sect in Yemen's far north, seized Sanaa and much of the rest of the country in September in what they have called a revolution.
    Southern forces loyal to the exiled government have been on the defensive in four months of fighting and bombing that have killed over 4,000 people, but have made lightning advances northward, seizing Yemen's biggest military base this week.
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