The arrival of summer represents a recurring nightmare every year for residents of Yemen's coastal cities, threatening their lives as temperatures soar above 40 degrees Celsius and humidity levels in the coastal plains exceed 80%, all while electricity services remain absent.
Moreover, the residents of these hot areas generally endure continuous woes, which have intensified in recent years, reaching their peak during the period from May to September each year, when the scorching summer arrives. The suffering of the residents remains unmitigated despite government promises made years ago to turn the summer into winter, referring to the provision of electricity service to these areas.
Heat and Environmental Pollution
The city of Aden (southern Yemen) is the hottest and most humid city in the country. Its coastal location overlooking the Gulf of Aden and its placement within the tropical zone at latitude 12.47 north, along with the city's geographical characteristics, global climatic changes, and the phenomenon of global warming, are the primary reasons for the increased temperature in recent years. This has exposed it to solar radiation throughout the year, with scarce summer rains and even rarer winter precipitation, with an average annual rainfall of 50 mm.
Furthermore, environmental pollution and poor urban planning in the city represented an added dilemma that has exacerbated the climate changes that the coastal city experiences in the middle of each year. Environmental experts predict that temperatures in Yemen will rise by 2–3 °C in the coming years. Meanwhile, the internationally recognized government, based in the temporary capital of Aden, does not responsibly address environmental, climatic, and global warming issues, according to activists in Aden speaking to Al-Araby Al-Jadeed.
In early May, the residents of Aden, estimated at 1.5 million, lived under harsh humanitarian conditions amid complete darkness following the shutdown of the city's five power plants. The unprecedented temperature spikes turned the city into an unbearable hell, prompting and driving many residents to the streets of the coastal city in protests against the recurring collapse of services each summer, which reaches its peak annually.
On the other hand, photos shared by local activists in Aden revealed the dire humanitarian situation faced by residents, particularly for patients at Al-Sadaqa Hospital. Doctors had to move patients from their wards and intensive care units to the hospital courtyard on manual beds to continue their treatment, escaping the life-threatening heat due to the high temperatures and power outages in the hospital's enclosed rooms. The images also showed students in schools taking their exams almost unclothed, having removed part of their clothing to cope with the extreme heat during the deadly heatwaves.
“The absence of public electricity services endangers the lives of dozens of asthma and skin allergy patients. The situation is further exacerbated by the spread of cholera, the onset of summer, and the unprecedented rise in temperatures.”
Recurring Summer Crises
Anda Al-Salahi, an educator and human rights activist in the city of Aden, stated in an exclusive interview with "Khuyut" that the crises of the summer season recur every year, especially in coastal areas that experience high humidity levels, like Aden, which is home to a diverse population, whose suffering intensifies with the onset of summer. Actually, this has been the case for years, exacerbated by the persistent issue of government electricity outages and the increasing fuel crisis at stations, along with the negligence and indifference of the legitimate government, which shirks its duties toward the people and fails to find effective solutions to this entrenched problem.
According to Al-Salahi, the effects of climate change and the increase in random and unplanned urbanization have had a severe impact on the residents of Aden, especially during the summer heat. Most homes in Aden are apartments lacking adequate ventilation spaces, creating a major disaster endured by the elderly, patients, women, children, and those with chronic diseases.
Further, the repercussions of the extraordinary situation in the coastal and desert areas during the summer negatively impact the residents' living and economic conditions. According to Al-Salahi's interview with Al-Araby Al-Jadeed, "Traders increasingly monopolize the goods needed in the summer season. For example, traders of alternative energy sources and ice seize the opportunity during the summer to make a substantial profit, exploiting people's suffering for money. Thus, prices rise, leaving citizens with no alternative solution but to endure the summer's heat or sleep on the streets."
Al-Salahi adds that despite Aden being the temporary capital, the headquarters of the Presidential Leadership Council, and the internationally recognized legitimate government, the troublemakers seek to diminish its status and turn it into a mere village. She does not blame the citizens for protesting and demanding their right to a dignified life, stating that "the government has exhausted all excuses, and all we've seen from them are their travels from one country to another, while leaving the people to suffer."
Sleeping on the Beaches
Rahaf Yabeli, a resident of Aden, stated in an exclusive interview with "Khuyut" that the absence of public electricity services endangers the lives of dozens of asthma and skin allergy patients. The situation is further exacerbated by the spread of cholera, the onset of summer, and the unprecedented rise in temperatures.
According to Yabeli, "the situation worsened with the interruption of water supply through the network, leading to water shortages in many neighborhoods of Crater, Mualla, and Sheikh Othman. Last summer, the oxygen production plant at Al-Jumhuriya Teaching Hospital in Aden ceased operations due to the fuel crisis."
Yabeli notes that most people go out at night to sleep on the beaches, while those who can afford it stay in hotels. The authorities are using the electricity issue as a weapon and as a key tool in the service war against citizens in coastal cities, making the electricity issue extremely complex and difficult, according to her description.
In this regard, Lisa Al-Hasani, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Information in the Aden government and a resident of the city, expressed in an exclusive interview with "Khuyut" that power outages lasting over 18 hours a day in Aden constitute a violation of human rights. She added that it is only the poor citizens who endure the blistering heat of summer without electricity.
Al-Hasani pointed out that the harm of the absence of electricity service during the summer in the city of Aden affects various groups, including the elderly and children. Rather, the harm extends beyond human suffering to electrical appliances due to the damage to basic items such as vegetables, which spoil and rot due to power outages. Often, people find it difficult to obtain a cold ice bag, in addition to the widespread suffering of patients with diabetes, hypertension, asthma, and thyroid gland problems.
In turn, Ali Ja'boor, a journalist from the coastal province of Al-Hodeidah who lives in Aden, stated in an exclusive interview with "Khuyut" that the situation of Yemeni citizens in Aden and other coastal cities is getting worse year after year due to the deterioration of public services, particularly electricity. He emphasized that the recognized government has failed to implement sustainable solutions to ensure a stable power supply, especially during the scorching summers and high temperatures in coastal cities.
According to Ja'boor, despite all the promises made by officials to improve the service, the problem persists and is getting worse, further exacerbating its negative impact on the lives of citizens and increasing their suffering.
“Thousands of marginalized and displaced families, and the most vulnerable groups in Aden, are living in extremely difficult humanitarian conditions due to the absence of electricity in their camps and tin houses spread across the city.”
Collapse of Service Systems
Majed Al-Da'eri, an activist from Aden, conveyed to "Khuyut" that Aden and the southern regions are currently enduring the most severe phase in their modern history, marked by escalating human suffering, deteriorating living conditions, currency devaluation, and the collapse of essential services including water, electricity, and telecommunications.
Al-Da'eri pointed out that Aden is experiencing a complete collapse of services, and unfortunately, this deteriorating living situation is exacerbating the humanitarian crisis, resulting in daily deaths among the elderly due to sudden strokes and respiratory difficulties.
Thousands of marginalized and displaced families and the most vulnerable groups in Aden are living in extremely difficult humanitarian conditions due to the absence of electricity in their camps during the summer with an unprecedented rise in temperatures. More than 8,000 marginalized families reside in camps and scattered tin dwellings in areas like Dar Saad, Al-Buraiqah, Al-Mualla, Sheikh Othman, and Crater.
As for Samera Siyoud, a human rights activist advocating for marginalized groups and leader of the Muhamasheen community in the Al-Hajama area of Dar Saad in Aden, the largest informal residential cluster, she described in an exclusive interview with "Khuyut" that the situation faced by marginalized, displaced, and vulnerable groups inside the camps spread across Aden is extremely dire and difficult. She highlighted that sewage overflows onto camp residents because the sewage system relies on pumps dependent on electricity, which has led to the spread of epidemics such as cholera, malaria, and dengue fever within these camps.
Siyoud noted that the majority of the marginalized individuals working in Aden’s cleaning sector do not even earn sufficient wages to meet basic living requirements, let alone consider purchasing a battery or solar panel. It is noteworthy that the average salary of a cleaner does not exceed 50,000 Yemeni riyals, which is equivalent to about $30 monthly, amidst the currency devaluation, with the Yemeni riyal reaching 1,700 against the US dollar. Moreover, she pointed out that even when electricity reaches the camps, it lasts only for two hours, leaving them without power for most of the day.
