Feature: Fuel crisis turns Yemeni capital into ghost town amid escalating war in Hodeidah
                 Source: Xinhua | 2018-09-19 04:30:37 | Editor: huaxia

Bikers wait to refill their motorcycles at a petrol station in Sanaa, Yemen, on Sept. 17, 2018. (Xinhua/Mohammed Mohammed)

by Mohamed al-Azaki

SANAA, Sept. 18 (Xinhua) -- Streets are almost empty in Yemen's capital Sanaa as a week-long severe fuel shortage forces hundreds of thousands of vehicles to silently die off the roads, in a scene that turns the busy city into a ghost town.

On the roads, other thousands of vehicles and motorcycles line up in long queues in front of few operating gas stations, but with most drivers failing to get some liters at the end of each day.

The major fuel crisis was triggered by the escalating war earlier this week in the country's strategic Red Sea port city of Hodeidah following the collapse of peace talks brokered by the United Nations in Geneva between Yemeni warring parties.

The fighting between Sunni government forces backed by a Saudi-led coalition and Shiite Houthi rebels allied with Iran has turned the port city into a military zone and completely blocked imports to the rebel-controlled densely populated cities in the north, including Sanaa.

Yemeni rial has sunk to its most lowest rate against foreign currencies in three years, skyrocketing food prices to the highest level.

"We are dying..," said Mohammed Sigher, a taxi owner who has been lining up in front of a petrol station for three days waiting for his turn to fill his car up. "This is a mass genocide," he huffed.

One liter of petrol is traded now in Sanaa at 425 Yemeni rials (one U.S. dollar equals 650 rials), up from 150 rials at the time before the civil war erupted in March 2014 when one U.S. dollar was traded at 250 rials.

"If you are in extreme need, 20 liter of petrol is sold at 20,000 rials easily at the black market..but no more people are now able to afford the big price," Sigher said.

"I need to fill my taxi.. I need to work to feed my children and pay rent of the apartment," Sigher, the father of four, screamed in pain while standing behind crowds of vehicles' owners waiting at the pump.

There is no alternative way for Sigher rather than to wait and wait around the clock under the sun, dust and cold wind until his turn comes.

A man carries a bottle of petrol at a petrol station in Sanaa, Yemen, on Sept. 17, 2018. (Xinhua/Mohammed Mohammed)

The 35-year-old father was a teacher in a public school. But like hundreds of thousands of civil servants in the rebel-controlled northern provinces, he has been not paid since the war engulfed the poor Arab country more than three years ago.

Dozens of people could be seen walking on the main streets as most of public transportation vehicles have run dry of fuel.

"Late yesterday night, I returned back home walking one hour on my feet because there was no public transportation or taxis," Nashwan al-Marwan, 50-year-old restaurant worker, told Xinhua.

In the government-controlled southern cities, including Aden, thousands of people went to the streets over the past two weeks to protest against the harsh increase of food prices and acute deterioration of the local currency rial.

Prime Minister Ahmed Obaid bin Daghr has warned that the worsening economic situations could cause unprecedented humanitarian and political catastrophes, blaming the war and black markets for the crisis. He said his government would take crucial procedures to tackle the crisis.

Back in the rebel-held Sanaa, Mahir al-Eyani, the owner of a petrol station, said "I had paid 3,800,000 rials to the (rebel-controlled) authorities as fees last month to let my petrol tanker enter the capital Sanaa."

"After the war raged on in Hodeidah port, I have now only one way to import oil, which is from the eastern oil-rich neighboring country of Oman and that week-long drive will cost me thousands of dollars as I will not get any profits if I sell a liter at 425 rials," al-Eyani told Xinhua. "Therefore, I closed the station," he added.

Last week, the World Food Programme (WFP) said it was "extremely concerned about the series of security incidents in Hodeidah city these past few days in and around deconflicted sites critical for the humanitarian response in Yemen."

The UN agency warned the situation in Hodeidah is "alarming," saying "the conflict is threatening the continuity of humanitarian assistance to the city and surrounding areas where needs are among the highest in the country."

WFP spokesman Herve Verhoosel told reporters in Geneva that "the ongoing clashes could jeopardize the shipments of 46,000 tonnes of wheat expected to arrive to Hodeidah within the next ten days."

Hodeidah port is the entry point of about 70 percent of the country's food, medicines, aid and fuel.

Yemen's war has killed over 10,000 people, mostly civilians, displaced three million and threatened more than 20 million population with mass famine.

Saudi Arabia is leading an Arab military coalition that intervened in Yemen in 2015 to support the government of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi after the Houthi rebels forced him into exile.

Back to Top Close
Xinhuanet

Feature: Fuel crisis turns Yemeni capital into ghost town amid escalating war in Hodeidah

Source: Xinhua 2018-09-19 04:30:37

Bikers wait to refill their motorcycles at a petrol station in Sanaa, Yemen, on Sept. 17, 2018. (Xinhua/Mohammed Mohammed)

by Mohamed al-Azaki

SANAA, Sept. 18 (Xinhua) -- Streets are almost empty in Yemen's capital Sanaa as a week-long severe fuel shortage forces hundreds of thousands of vehicles to silently die off the roads, in a scene that turns the busy city into a ghost town.

On the roads, other thousands of vehicles and motorcycles line up in long queues in front of few operating gas stations, but with most drivers failing to get some liters at the end of each day.

The major fuel crisis was triggered by the escalating war earlier this week in the country's strategic Red Sea port city of Hodeidah following the collapse of peace talks brokered by the United Nations in Geneva between Yemeni warring parties.

The fighting between Sunni government forces backed by a Saudi-led coalition and Shiite Houthi rebels allied with Iran has turned the port city into a military zone and completely blocked imports to the rebel-controlled densely populated cities in the north, including Sanaa.

Yemeni rial has sunk to its most lowest rate against foreign currencies in three years, skyrocketing food prices to the highest level.

"We are dying..," said Mohammed Sigher, a taxi owner who has been lining up in front of a petrol station for three days waiting for his turn to fill his car up. "This is a mass genocide," he huffed.

One liter of petrol is traded now in Sanaa at 425 Yemeni rials (one U.S. dollar equals 650 rials), up from 150 rials at the time before the civil war erupted in March 2014 when one U.S. dollar was traded at 250 rials.

"If you are in extreme need, 20 liter of petrol is sold at 20,000 rials easily at the black market..but no more people are now able to afford the big price," Sigher said.

"I need to fill my taxi.. I need to work to feed my children and pay rent of the apartment," Sigher, the father of four, screamed in pain while standing behind crowds of vehicles' owners waiting at the pump.

There is no alternative way for Sigher rather than to wait and wait around the clock under the sun, dust and cold wind until his turn comes.

A man carries a bottle of petrol at a petrol station in Sanaa, Yemen, on Sept. 17, 2018. (Xinhua/Mohammed Mohammed)

The 35-year-old father was a teacher in a public school. But like hundreds of thousands of civil servants in the rebel-controlled northern provinces, he has been not paid since the war engulfed the poor Arab country more than three years ago.

Dozens of people could be seen walking on the main streets as most of public transportation vehicles have run dry of fuel.

"Late yesterday night, I returned back home walking one hour on my feet because there was no public transportation or taxis," Nashwan al-Marwan, 50-year-old restaurant worker, told Xinhua.

In the government-controlled southern cities, including Aden, thousands of people went to the streets over the past two weeks to protest against the harsh increase of food prices and acute deterioration of the local currency rial.

Prime Minister Ahmed Obaid bin Daghr has warned that the worsening economic situations could cause unprecedented humanitarian and political catastrophes, blaming the war and black markets for the crisis. He said his government would take crucial procedures to tackle the crisis.

Back in the rebel-held Sanaa, Mahir al-Eyani, the owner of a petrol station, said "I had paid 3,800,000 rials to the (rebel-controlled) authorities as fees last month to let my petrol tanker enter the capital Sanaa."

"After the war raged on in Hodeidah port, I have now only one way to import oil, which is from the eastern oil-rich neighboring country of Oman and that week-long drive will cost me thousands of dollars as I will not get any profits if I sell a liter at 425 rials," al-Eyani told Xinhua. "Therefore, I closed the station," he added.

Last week, the World Food Programme (WFP) said it was "extremely concerned about the series of security incidents in Hodeidah city these past few days in and around deconflicted sites critical for the humanitarian response in Yemen."

The UN agency warned the situation in Hodeidah is "alarming," saying "the conflict is threatening the continuity of humanitarian assistance to the city and surrounding areas where needs are among the highest in the country."

WFP spokesman Herve Verhoosel told reporters in Geneva that "the ongoing clashes could jeopardize the shipments of 46,000 tonnes of wheat expected to arrive to Hodeidah within the next ten days."

Hodeidah port is the entry point of about 70 percent of the country's food, medicines, aid and fuel.

Yemen's war has killed over 10,000 people, mostly civilians, displaced three million and threatened more than 20 million population with mass famine.

Saudi Arabia is leading an Arab military coalition that intervened in Yemen in 2015 to support the government of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi after the Houthi rebels forced him into exile.

010020070750000000000000011105091374773581
凤凰快3 大发app 凤凰彩票app 乐发iv游戏平台 凤凰彩票大厅 乐发彩票 乐发彩票app下载 大发彩票 乐发v官网 乐发lll 乐发lv入口 乐发iv首页 乐发ll登录 凤凰彩票大厅 乐发官网 乐发ii下载入口 乐发ll 乐发v平台 乐发v官网 乐发lll 乐发lv入口 乐发iv首页 乐发ll登录 乐发lv 乐发lll安装 乐发lv 乐发登录入口 乐发iv游戏平台 凤凰彩票登录 网信彩票 彩神 彩神彩票官方网站 彩神彩票官网首页 彩神官方app下载安卓版 凤凰彩票登录 彩神v3 凤凰彩票app下载 彩神官方app下载安卓版 网信快三 一分快3 快三彩票购彩平台 凤凰彩票官方 快3官网 网信彩票 快3app 网信彩票平台 百姓彩票平台 网信平台官网 快3app下载 百姓彩票 每日彩票 快3app 百姓彩票 每日彩票 快3app 百姓彩票平台 幸运5分彩快3 快3彩票app下载 百姓彩票网站网址 大发10分PK10 快3下载 网信彩票平台 网信平台官网 快3彩票官网app 凤凰彩票官方 彩神彩票 大发10分PK10 彩神v3 大发彩票app下载 百姓彩票网站网址 彩神购彩平台 每日彩票 官方正规快三彩票平台 彩神彩票购彩平台 百姓彩票 凤凰彩票购彩平台 凤凰彩票app下载 彩神官方app下载安卓版 网信快三 一分快3 快三彩票购彩平台 凤凰彩票官方 彩神彩票 大发10分PK10 彩神v3 凤凰彩票登录 乐发lv 乐发∨Il 百姓彩票网站网址 乐发彩票 乐发彩票官方网站 乐发lll安装 百姓彩票网站网址 凤凰彩票app下载 大发10分PK10 乐发2 乐发app 凤凰彩票 大发彩票app 乐发登录入口 乐发ll登录 乐发v官网 乐发官网 大发彩票app下载 凤凰彩票购彩平台 彩神彩票 官方正规快三彩票平台 一分快3 百姓彩票网站网址 凤凰彩票app下载 大发10分PK10 乐发2 乐发app 凤凰彩票 大发彩票app 乐发登录入口 乐发ll登录 乐发v官网 乐发官网 大发彩票app下载 凤凰彩票购彩平台 彩神彩票 官方正规快三彩票平台 1分快三平台 百姓彩票平台 凤凰彩票登录 幸运5分彩快3 彩神 乐发彩票 乐发 大发彩票 乐发iv游戏平台 乐发lv 乐发lll 乐发ii下载入口 乐发彩票官方网站 凤凰彩票官方网站 凤凰快3 彩神彩票官网首页 1分快三平台 百姓彩票平台 凤凰彩票登录 幸运5分彩快3 彩神 乐发彩票 乐发 大发彩票 乐发iv游戏平台 乐发lv 凤凰彩票app 乐发app 网信彩票平台 网信彩票平台 乐发iv游戏平台 凤凰彩票app 乐发lv 乐发彩票app下载 凤凰彩票app 网信彩票平台 乐发彩票app下载 乐发lv 乐发app 大发彩票安卓下载 大发彩票安卓下载 大发彩票 乐发彩票app下载 网信彩票平台 乐发iv游戏平台 彩神彩票 乐发彩票中心 极速快3彩票平台 人人快三凤凰 大发彩票app 大发彩票大全 乐发彩票 彩神彩票官方网站 乐发app 酷天堂彩票平台 凤凰彩票app下载 凤凰彩票大厅 凤凰彩票app 极速快3彩票平台 凤凰彩票 凤凰快3 乐发ll官网 乐发彩票中心 正规快三送彩金平台 凤凰彩票官方 乐发ll 乐发 网信彩票 彩神彩票 彩神彩票官方网站 大发彩票app 网信彩票用户 百姓快三 百姓彩票平台 乐发lv 乐发彩票app下载 彩信平台 网信彩票 乐发彩票官方网站 乐发∨Il 人人快三凤凰 凤凰彩票 凤凰快3 乐发ll官网 乐发彩票中心 正规快三送彩金平台 凤凰彩票官方 乐发ll 乐发 网信彩票 彩神彩票 彩神彩票官方网站 人人快三凤凰 乐发彩票 彩神彩票 乐发iv游戏平台 乐发彩票 大发彩票中心 凤凰彩票登录 凤凰彩票app 彩神彩票 大发彩票 乐发ll 大发彩票app 凤凰快3 凤凰彩票 彩神彩票 乐发ll 凤凰彩票 乐发lll 凤凰彩票大厅 网信彩票 彩神彩票 乐发lv 快盈彩票 乐发彩票官方网站 盈彩网投资平台 大发官网 一分时时彩 乐发lv 快3平台 凤凰快3 乐发ll 全民彩票 乐发彩票官方网站 百姓彩票 乐发彩票 大发彩票 极速快3 乐发app 大发官网 乐发lll 快3平台 凤凰快3 乐发ll 全民彩票 乐发彩票官方网站 百姓彩票 乐发彩票 大发彩票 极速快3 乐发app 彩神iv 大发彩票app 大小单双平台 一分pk10 乐发lv 快盈彩票 乐发官网 快彩彩票 百姓彩票 凤凰彩票大厅 网信彩票 乐发彩票中心 网信快3 乐发 彩神xl 三分快3 大发彩票 大发官网 乐发lll 快3平台 凤凰快3 乐发ll 全民彩票 乐发彩票官方网站 百姓彩票 乐发彩票 乐发彩票官方网站 大发彩票 乐发 分分快3 彩神vl 55世纪 55世纪 凤凰快3 乐发彩票 乐发lv welcome凤凰彩票 乐发ll 1分快3 彩神 彩神ll 1分快3官网 1分快3的平台 welcome凤凰彩票 三分快3 彩神x 彩神vl 凤凰彩票 彩神xl 大发彩票 凤凰彩票大厅 乐发官网 乐发ll 乐发lll 乐发lv 大发彩票app 大发彩票 乐发 乐发彩票 乐发彩票中心 凤凰快3 乐发彩票 彩神xl 腾讯快3 大发彩票 彩神xl 大发彩票 乐发彩票 大发彩票app 快3平台 乐发 1分快3 乐发彩票 彩神x 凤凰快3 彩神xl 彩吧助手 大发彩票app 快3平台 大发排列3 彩神iv 彩神vl 乐发IV 彩神x 一分pk10 大发排列3 乐发lv 快3彩票 乐发app下载 三分快3 快三平台助手 乐发彩票ll 彩神iv 乐发lll下载 盈彩网投资平台 乐发Ⅲ 一分pk10 凤凰彩票 乐发Vll 大发官网 乐发ll 大发彩票 乐发1 凤凰快3 彩神vl 乐发lx 百姓彩票 乐发VI 彩神x 乐发IV 极速快3 乐发 凤凰快3 网信快3 乐发lv 快3彩票 乐发app下载 三分快3 快三平台助手 乐发彩票ll 彩神iv 乐发lll下载 盈彩网投资平台 乐发Ⅲ 凤凰彩票大厅 乐发lv 乐发lv 乐发lv 凤凰彩票 大发彩票 大发彩票 凤凰彩票 乐发lv 凤凰彩票 凤凰彩票 乐发lv 乐发ll 凤凰彩票app下载 凤凰彩票 凤凰彩票 乐发lv 乐发ll 凤凰彩票app下载 凤凰彩票 凤凰彩票 乐发lv 彩神x 乐发 乐发ll 极速快3 乐发lv 乐发彩票中心 快3彩票 凤凰彩票大厅 彩神x 凤凰彩票app 分分快3 网信彩票 网盟彩票 凤凰彩票 百姓彩票 乐发 快彩彩票 乐发彩票 快3平台 百姓彩票 大小单双平台 凤凰快3 彩神xl 一分pk10 乐发lv 三分快3 大发彩票 乐发彩票 快3平台 百姓彩票 大小单双平台 凤凰快3 彩神xl 一分pk10 乐发lv 三分快3 大发彩票 极速快3 乐发ll 网信彩票 乐发lv 全民彩票 凤凰彩票app下载 快盈彩票 大发彩票app 大发官网 凤凰彩票 彩神iv 大发彩票 网信快3 凤凰彩票 百姓彩票