Hot Summer in Aden Sparks Protests Amid Recurring Power Disruption

Angry residents in Aden in South Yemen have protested repeatedly over the past few days, calling on authorities in the port city to find a solution to the repeated power outages.

Power stations in Aden have stopped operating since Sunday, and the outages lasted several hours a day. This happens due to a shortage of fuel.

The recurring outages during the hot summer have brought misery to the population, and residents said some patients died due to the rising temperature, which exceeds 40°C.

According to local sources, the Aden districts of Al-Mansoura, Sheikh Othman, Khor Maksar, Al-Mualla, and Al-Buraiqa sawa massive protests over the past few days.

Protesters set tires on fire and blocked several streets in Aden city, demanding the authorities an immediate solution to the electricity crisis. The Security Department deployed soldiers to maintain stability in the city and opened fire in the air to disperse the protestors.

In a statement on Tuesday, the security Department in Aden said it understands the population's suffering due to the power outages, saying that the citizens' demands are legitimate. However, the statement warned against exploiting popular protests and sabotaging and damaging public or private facilities.

The power outages during summer have been chronic trouble, and it intensified further after the Southern Transitional Council (STC)took over Aden in 2019.

At the time, the STC fought with pro-government forces and forced government officials to flee abroad. Though the government is operating in Aden nowadays, the STC has hindered it from performing its duty.

The STC officials say they are the legitimate authority that stands for the southern people. However, they blame the government for the deteriorating public services in Aden and other southern provinces.

Electricity officials in Aden say the electricity sector is facing formidable challenges that have augmented for years amid increasing power consumption in line with urban expansion and population density.

According to the officials, the total energy needed by Aden reaches 650 megawatts, while the stations produce less than 150 megawatts per day.

As the electricity crisis remains unresolved in Aden, observers say such trouble will heighten and will affect the country's peace process. The miserable living conditions in Aden will serve as proof of the failure of the internationally recognized government, and this will keep eroding its legitimacy in Yemen.