Gas shortage turns into crisis

The implications of a nation-wide gas crisis have recently begun to become apparent. “No one can deny the importance of gas in Yemenis houses,” said a local citizen. “We mainly rely on gas when cooking at home, even restaurants do.”
 
Turn down any ally in Yemen, and there is a good chance you will stumble across a multitude of cylinders laying in front of gas stores, each waiting for their turn to be filled. Not just men, but also women and little children are included in this regular task.
 
“It is not the first time we have experienced such a crisis. We have seen shortages like this before, multiple times. Therefore, I am not concerned,” said Nasser Ali, a gas cylinders seller. “Many of our customers complain about the shortages. But we cannot offer any help. We are not the responsible ones. This is really out of control,” he added. 
 
An additional phenomenon has accompanied this crisis, which has raised concern in certain sectors. Individuals have been arriving early in the mornings, filling multiple tanks, leaving a shortage of fuel later in the day. “We get up early in the morning around 5 am in order to reserve a place and be the first to fill up my gas cylinder,” said a client.
 
“They used to give us 200 gas cylinders per day in the past. We do not sell gas cylinders to cart owners, especially in such times as these, because of the large demand,” said Hani Zuhra, a local gas merchant. “There are many people who come from other areas to buy from this location. We allow clients, when the tanks are empty, to ensure for themselves that they are completely empty. The shortages are increasing though; the Gas Company did not provide us with gas cylinders last Thursday. The underlying reason behind this crisis stem from rumors that the line has been severed,” he added.
 
At one location, there was a long line of customers waiting to have their cylinders filled. As they milled about, the story of the store’s owner began to surface. “The owner of this store is in prison. All he did was sell gas cylinders to cart owners,” said a friend of the man accused. “They send members from the local council to check violations, with results such as this,” he added.
 
“There were some troubles with blocked gas last month that lasted for a few days. Of the main sources of gas, Safer Company constitutes 95% of all gas needs, while the rest comes from Aden and imports,” declared an official source from the Gas Company. “Consumption and orders are increasing in spite of the limited production. However, I assure you that this situation will soon come to an end.”

Related Content

•   Female genital circumcision still on the rise in Yemen
•  Jews in land of nightingales
•   Alcohol sells from hidden points in Yemen
•  IRIN: Fighting in north Yemen leads to fresh displacements
•  Yemen President’s visit to the United States has other purposes than medical treatment
•  YEMEN: Little hope of swift return for Abyan IDPs, says report
•   African refugees to Yemen surpass expectation, says UN report
•   Al- Hujrain, Yemen’s treasure trove
•  Campaign in Yemeni to revolt against Qat
•   IRIN: Yemen coping with unrest - aid workers turn to the community