Hussam, a university student, has seen his life drastically change since the reopening of the eastern road connecting the city of Taiz, the provincial capital, with the Al-Hawban area. Now, he can travel and visit his relatives within just a few hours, instead of the more than eight hours it previously took him via a dangerous mountain route with high transportation costs.
On June 13, the local authority under the internationally recognized government announced the reopening of the Taiz–Al-Hawban road, which had been closed for nine years following the Ansar Allah (Houthi) group’s control of the Al-Hawban area and their closure of the road in 2015. The reopening of the road has given citizens hope for regaining some aspects and semblance of their normal lives that had been disrupted for nearly a decade.
The closure of the road had created numerous challenges for the daily lives of citizens, who were forced to take a longer detour through the Al-Aqroud area (southeast of Taiz) to reach Al-Hawban, a journey that took four hours compared to just fifteen minutes via the Al-Hawban‐city center road. In addition, this long detour resulted in exorbitant increases in transportation and goods costs and complications in accessing healthcare, education, and work, exacerbating their suffering and worsening their already difficult economic situation.
“Traveling through Al-Aqroud Road was an arduous task and a journey filled with hardship and alienation. The traveler feels as if they are coming from another country, not from an area within the same governorate or from a neighboring governorate.”
A Return After a Long Absence
Hussam, who studies in Sana'a, did not wait long after the road reopened; just a few days later, he traveled to ensure there were no obstacles. Subsequently, he decided to enter the city through Al-Hawban, taking a small minibus that cost him only 500 Yemeni riyals and took a very short amount of time.
Between his recent trip on June 29 through Al-Hawban Road and his first trip on April 4, 2023, through the Al-Aqroud route, a significant transformation occurred in Hussam's life.
Hussam shared his two experiences with "Khuyut," stating, "Traveling through the Al-Aqroud road was an arduous task and a journey filled with hardship and alienation. The traveler feels as if they are coming from another country, not from an area within the same governorate or from a neighboring governorate. The trip takes more than four hours through exhausting mountain roads at high costs, with four-wheel-drive vehicles transporting passengers from Al-Hawban to the city of Taiz for 50,000 Yemeni riyals. In contrast, my last trip cost only 500 Yemeni riyals via small transport buses and took just fifteen minutes."
Moreover, many students have been deprived of continuing their studies in Taiz, which hosts several public and private universities, the largest of which is Taiz University, due to their inability to cover living and food expenses in the city and the impracticality of traveling daily via the alternative detour. However, the reopening of the road has provided a breakthrough for many of these students residing in Al-Hawban, restoring their dream of attending university and returning home within half an hour.
"The road brings distant places closer," says a proverb that embodies the story of the student Mohammed Shawqi (26 years old), who was finally able to visit his mother in Taiz after years spent living in the capital, Sana'a. Upon the reopening of the road, visiting his mother was the first thing on his mind.
Shawqi speaks to "Khuyut" about this experience, saying, "The journey from Sana'a to the city of Taiz took eight hours. Before the opening of the eastern access to the city, I would spend this same amount of time traveling from the Al-Hawban area to the city center of Taiz via the Al-Aqroud road. I couldn't believe that I had actually arrived and saw my mother. This is truly a celebration for me, for all the besieged residents of Taiz, and for everyone for whom the road has exacerbated their humanitarian and health struggles."
“Would you like me to invite you?’ is an initiative aimed at hosting and providing free lodging for visitors to the village of Al-Mahzaf, which is situated high on Saber Mountain, in the homes of local residents.”
Economic Revival and Individual Initiatives
The longing for normalcy and the desire to regain some aspects of life—albeit at their most basic—became evident with the opening of the Taiz-Al-Hawban road. Tourist attractions, such as the Jebel Sabir area overlooking the city of Taiz, which includes recreational areas and parks, witnessed a significant influx of visitors. This surge in activity led to an increase in service prices, with the cost of a room in some accommodation facilities reaching nearly 50 US dollars per day.
To collectively share this joy without succumbing to the exploitation of merchants and property owners, many citizens in the villages of Jebel Sabir launched initiatives to host visitors who cannot afford to stay in paid accommodations, inviting them to stay in their homes instead.
One of these initiatives was proposed by photographer Nader Mohammed Al-Dughaish on his Facebook page under the title "Would You Like Me to Invite You?" The initiative aimed to host and provide free lodging for visitors to his village, Al-Mahzaf, which is situated high on Sabir Mountain, in the homes of local residents.
Al-Dughaish speaks to "Khuyut" about his initiative, stating: "I seek to help visitors who wish to visit the area, and also to safeguard it from the exploitation by owners of accommodation facilities, especially since most of them have been cut off from the city for years. In addition, I aim to promote tourism in the region and raise awareness about my village, Al-Mahzaf."
In addition to the revitalization of tourism, driven by the influx of many eager visitors returning to the area after a long absence, the reopening of the road has also boosted commercial activity and the local market within the city. This is due to the arrival of thousands of citizens from Al-Hawban and other cities. However, this increased movement has resulted in unprecedented traffic congestion.
"Those living in the Al-Hawban area do not benefit much from the foreign currency they have. For example, exchanging 100 Saudi riyals amounts to about 14,000 Yemeni riyals, and this barely covers the cost of two gas cylinders."
Currency Exchange and Supply Challenges
The influx of citizens is not limited to visiting relatives, returning to their homes, attending universities, or seeking medical treatment; it also includes hundreds of people coming daily for shopping, taking advantage of the exchange rate differences of the Yemeni Riyal across various regions. In areas controlled by the Houthis, one dollar exchanges for about 535 Yemeni riyals; meanwhile, in government-controlled areas, it varies but does never drop below 1850 riyals per dollar.
This disparity in exchange rates affects the prices of goods, essential materials, and services. It is advantageous for those whose income is in foreign currency, whether in U.S. dollars or Saudi riyals. In areas controlled by the internationally recognized government, a person with $100 can cover key expenses such as rent, electricity, and water bills.
On the contrary, those living in Houthi-controlled areas, such as Al-Hawban, gain little benefit from the foreign currency they have. For instance, exchanging 100 Saudi riyals amounts to about 14,000 Yemeni riyals, which barely covers the cost of two gas cylinders. Meanwhile, in the city of Taiz, the same amount can be exchanged for around 50,000 Yemeni riyals.
On the other hand, the increased demand for goods and products has led to price hikes for some items and significantly higher consumption, given the shortage of supplies. This shortage persists due to the continued ban on cargo trucks entering the city through the eastern road leading to Al-Hawban. As a result, these trucks still take the detour and the secondary route through the Al-Aqroud route, which explains the limited availability of goods and their higher prices amid increased demand from citizens.
Merchant Yahya Sadiq spoke to "Khuyut" about this crisis, which dampens the joy of the road reopening, saying, "Unfortunately, the rising prices are affecting essential and highly demanded food items, such as rice and cheese, due to the continued ban on cargo and transport trucks from passing through, even after the reopening of the road connecting the city of Taiz, which is under the control of the internationally recognized government, with the Al-Hawban area, controlled by Ansar Allah (the Houthis), last June."
“The city has been suffering from traffic congestion for years, primarily due to the narrow and limited capacity of its streets, considering the high population density. However, the problem has worsened after the road reopening, particularly in tourist areas.”
Persistent Traffic Congestion
In an interview with "Khuyut," the head of traffic police in the governorate, Sameer Razzaz, explains that access through the eastern road is still restricted to regular and small vehicles used by citizens for their own transportation, while cargo trucks are still banned from entering through this route, and continue to use the old road. Consequently, the flow of goods into the city has not changed compared to before the road was opened, and the suffering of cargo trucks persists as they traverse a perilous route that has witnessed many accidents, as he expressed.
He added, "The reasons for the increase in prices and scarcity of goods are attributed to the high demand amid the continued ban on the entry of cargo trucks through the eastern road and the reliance on the arduous secondary detour route."
It is worth mentioning that the city of Taiz has been grappling with traffic congestion for years, even during the years of the siege. This issue is primarily due to the narrow and limited capacity of the city's streets, given the high population density. However, the situation has worsened after the road reopening, particularly in tourist areas such as Jabal Sabir and the parks and recreational areas.
In an effort to alleviate this congestion, the traffic police chief has implemented measures such as establishing new routes for vehicles, including a mandatory right lane from the eastern road toward Al-Thawra, Usaifera, and Wadi Al-Qadi, as well as a designated route for vehicles heading out to Al-Hawban.
