New details emerge about death of Yemeni Poet Belabid

SHABWA, July 20 (YPA) – Sources revealed new information on Friday about the circumstances surrounding the death of Yemeni poet Amer Amro Belabid, known as the ” Million Poet,” who allegedly died of thirst last week, according to a narrative published by factions loyal to Saudi-led coalition in Shabwa Governorate.

The Sources indicated that the poet passed away at a location very close to a fuel station, no more than 3 km away, after his vehicle broke down, according to a narrative circulated by activists quoting his family.

It was confirmed that the poet’s phone was found broken after it was run over by a vehicle while he was not rescued from thirst.

Political activist Ali Al-Nassi, a native of Shabwa, questioned in a post why the poet remained in place until death despite the station being in clear sight.

Al-Nassi speculated that the poet did not die as claimed by some, who suggest he got lost in the desert and died of thirst.

He criticized the local authorities in Shabwa for their silence on the incident without issuing a statement of condolence or clarification about the circumstances of his death given his prominence in the Arab world.

He pointed out that the silence of the UAE-affiliated authorities raises many questions about the incident, especially with conflicting narratives regarding the poet’s death.

Activist Noah Al-Jasri posted on his account on the platform “X” on Friday that a poem by Amer Amro, in which he praised Sayyed Abdul-Malik Badreddin al-Houthi, was recently removed from YouTube. This poem was filmed at Dar Al-Hajar, though this could not be confirmed.

The poet died of thirst in the Al-Aqla area, controlled by UAE-funded factions; after arriving from Hadramaut and His body was found two days after his death.

The Yemeni poet Belabid is considered one of the winners of the “Million Poet” competition for the year 2008. He left the UAE in 2021 for the Arma area in Shabwa. Then he moved to the capital, Sanaa, and took souvenir photos with poets next to the shrine of President Saleh Al-Sammad in Al-Sabeen Square in the center of the capital, Sanaa, in November 2021, before returning to Shabwa.

@E.Y.M