- Title: YEMEN-QAT Yemeni demand for qat unaffected by war and economic crisis
- Date: 2nd July 2015
- Summary: SANAA, YEMEN (JUNE 29, 2015) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF PEOPLE WALKING THROUGH A QAT MARKET IN SANAA VARIOUS OF MERCHANTS SELLING QAT VARIOUS OF QAT VARIOUS OF PEOPLE WALKING CARRYING BAGS OF QAT (SOUNDBITE) (ARABIC) YOUNG YEMENI MAN, AREF MAHMOUD, SAYING: "Due to the lack of basic necessities such as fuel and gas and diesel and other basic necessities, people are turning to qat
- Embargoed: 17th July 2015 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Yemen
- Country: Yemen
- Topics: General
- Reuters ID: LVAB2V5WQQHSHQZJVWHRYORU80BD
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Yemen may be in the midst of a civil war that has devastated the economy and lead to shortages of many essentials, but one item is still in plentiful supply - qat.
While Yemenis are becoming accustomed to a lack of power, water, milk and meat, a trip to a qat market in Sanaa shows that the narcotic green leaf is something that has remained constant.
Craving for the mild stimulant - chewed by at least 80 percent of men and 60 percent of women in Yemen - has kept the qat trade going strong in an economy otherwise devastated by war.
Farmers rise to cut it, traders brave bombs to transport it and addicts scrape empty pockets to scoop up a bag of the soft green leaves. It costs between 2 to 14 dollars a bag, depending on the quality.
One qat user, Aref Mahmoud, said people need it to cope with the difficulties the country is going through.
"Due to the lack of basic necessities such as fuel and gas and diesel and other basic necessities, people are turning to qat to forget their troubles. They chew qat so they forget their concerns, so they forget what is happening to the Yemeni people," he said.
Three weeks of Saudi-led air strikes aimed at stemming the advance of Iranian-allied Houthi rebels have only increased Yemenis' desire for the relaxing escape provided by qat.
Ahmed al Rimah, a qat merchant, said it's one of the few things people here can rely on.
"Qat is plentiful because it is the Yemeni people's only friend. Despite the siege, qat is still the only source of entertainment," he said.
Another dealer of the narcotic, Hameed Ali, said supply of the leaf has remained high due to the vigilance of the dealers.
"The qat remains plentiful in this time of crisis because of the efforts of the qat dealers, ensuring the delivery to the users. It's a job just like any other," he said.
One in every seven working Yemenis is employed in producing and distributing qat, making it the largest single source of rural income and the second largest source of employment in the country after the agriculture and herding sector, exceeding even the public sector, according to the World Bank.
The World Health Organisation classifies qat as a "drug of abuse that can produce mild to moderate psychological dependence". Qat's physical symptoms can include hallucinations, depression and tooth decay.
Yet despite the risks associated with using qat, one user Mohammed Hashem al Sharqi says chewing the leaf prevents Yemenis from turning to harder drugs.
"If Qat is not available, we will end up turning to alcohol, drugs, pills and heroin," he said.
A Saudi-led coalition has been bombing Houthi-held areas in Yemen since March in support of the exiled government, which was driven from power by Houthi fighters who have since taken over much of the country.
The air raids and clashes between the Houthis and pro-coalition Yemeni fighters have killed more than 2,800 people without reversing the Houthis' gains. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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