Days of protests over power outages rock Aden

Following several days of public demonstrations over frequent power outages and fuel shortages in the Yemeni port city of Aden, local security forces began extensive patrols Wednesday evening as part of a massive, coordinated response to prevent further protests.

Crowds of frustrated residents took to the streets earlier this week in response to electricity blackouts lasting more than 10 hours, combined with a blistering heatwave that enveloped Yemen’s southern coast.

A spokesperson for Nawar Akbar, Aden’s public electricity corporation, said in a Facebook post over the weekend that the blackouts were being caused by a diesel fuel shortage.

Houthis versus Yemeni government 

Aden, controlled by the United Arab Emirates-backed Southern Transitional Council (STC), is home to over a million people and is one of the country’s most important trade hubs. Houthi attacks on shipping lanes in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden have paused oil exports and forced the STC into a dire economic situation, resulting in a steep decline in the reliability of public utilities.

The STC is allied with the Saudi-supported internationally recognized government of Yemen against the Houthis, a powerful Zaydi Shiite militia backed by Saudi Arabia’s regional rival, Iran.

Individuals present for Monday and Tuesday’s demonstrations told international media that they witnessed authorities attacking the crowds, beating protesters with batons and blocking off certain city blocks.

As of Wednesday evening, an oil tanker had docked outside Aden’s port but was refusing to unload unless payment was received in advance.