02 Jun 2022 | 02:37 PM UTC
Yemen: Additional protests possible in Aden through mid-June
Further protests possible in Aden, Yemen through mid-June in response to lack of social services and declining economic conditions.
Event
Further protests remain possible in Aden through mid-June in response to deteriorating living conditions. Demonstrators have gathered near Qasr Al-Maashiq in Aden in recent days protesting the lack of electricity and other basic public services in the city.
Authorities will almost certainly deploy additional security personnel to monitor the protests. Localized transport disruptions are likely near any gatherings that may materialize. Clashes between demonstrators and security forces cannot be ruled out.
Context
Southern Yemen has long been afflicted by frequent power, water, and fuel shortages. The basic drivers of the crisis in the south include a population largely dependent on foreign aid, subsidized basic commodities such as fuel, a near-total reliance on imported goods, the existence of two rival economic systems, uncontrolled inflation, and a foreign exchange crisis. The UN estimates over 80 percent of Yemen’s population of 28 million is reliant on some form of humanitarian assistance. Widespread underdevelopment, in addition to the large-scale destruction of infrastructure as a result of the country’s seven-year civil war, has only exacerbated the south’s socio-economic crisis.
Advice
Avoid all protests due to the possibility of clashes. Monitor local media for details concerning protest activity; organizers may not announce plans in advance. Do not attempt to bypass roadblocks; wait for local authorities to remove them. Follow police instructions. Avoid travel at night.
