Worsening economic crisis in Aden threatens universities to be suspended

ADEN, July. 18 (YPA) – Four Yemeni universities under the control of the coalition-backed factions have threatened to close their doors to students, in a new escalation against the economic collapse in the southern and eastern provinces of Yemen.

The union of faculty and administrative staff in the universities of “Aden, Lahj, Abyan, and Shabwa” issued a statement to start the open strike as of the beginning of the new academic year, demanding the payment of their dues and the return of employees’ salaries to their previous value before the year 2015.

The union’s statement indicated that the strike would begin in all faculties and centers of the four universities if their demands were not met, calling on the Saudi-formed Presidential Leadership Council and its government to expedite the handling of university issues and stand up to the deteriorating conditions that the university staff has reached.

It considered the collapse of the local currency in those areas directly affected the educational process and the living conditions of the university staff, indicating that the economic collapse threatens universities to stop because of the inability of professors and employees to go to faculties.

“The professors and employees are going through difficult living conditions and low salaries,” the union’s statement stated, in addition to the spread of chaos and looting in the Mansoura scheme of the second housing association.

The union called on the government loyal to the coalition to fulfill its obligations towards universities to ensure the continuity of the educational process by meeting their demands.

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