Aden Under Water: Disasters of Corruption and Neglect Drown Streets and Neighborhoods

ADEN, Aug. 25 (YPA) – In a terrifying, tragic scene that repeats every year, Aden city in southern Yemen awakens these days to the roar of rain that has turned into a nightmare, drowning the streets and exposing the fragility of its infrastructure.

The heavy rains have become raging torrents that have submerged the city and trapped its residents. This flood is a living testament to years of corruption and neglect in infrastructure projects, exposing the inadequacy of the local authority run by the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council (STC).

A Submerged City

On Saturday morning, with the onset of the rain, Aden’s main and side streets transformed into vast pools of water. The flooding submerged roads in both Al-Mualla and Al-Mansoura areas, causing a near-total paralysis of traffic. The disaster wasn’t limited to the streets, but extended to homes and businesses, especially in low-lying areas. This scene marks the culmination of a recurring story of failure that has no fundamental solution, sparking widespread public anger. Residents have cried out that this is not a natural disaster but a direct result of years of neglect in implementing public service projects.

In the Embassies Quarter, considered one of Aden’s most affluent neighborhoods, widely circulated photos revealed a bitter reality: sewage water overflowed into the streets. This sparked a wave of widespread discontent, with residents connecting this scene to the reality of other neighborhoods, suggesting what’s hidden is far worse. They stressed that the deterioration of services has reached its peak, even in areas that are supposed to be the city’s showcase.

Intertwined Threads of Corruption

The scene of the flooded streets was not a mere coincidence; rather, it was considered one of the intertwined threads in a story of corruption that began years ago. Citizens have pointed the finger directly at the local authority and the STC, which is backed by the UAE, highlighting their failure to manage the services sector and their lack of seriousness in holding those involved in corruption accountable.

In a move to uncover these threads, journalists and activists have launched scathing criticisms, shedding light on a dangerous practice. They revealed that over 80% of Aden’s road projects over the past five years were awarded to a single contracting company through direct orders, without any public tenders. This company is owned by prominent leaders who emerged after 2015.

Sources have highlighted the scale of the disaster through the “Al-Jisr road” project, which cost more than $3 million. It was later revealed that it lacked drainage systems, necessitating an additional project costing $460,000 to fix the flaw. This is a stark example of poor planning and corruption that wastes public funds without accountability.

The sources added that these projects “can’t withstand a single drizzle,” exposing the falsity of the glossy image and revealing the corruption. They called for a comprehensive review of the fund’s activities and for its projects to be subject to strict government oversight and to be put up for competitive tenders under the supervision of the Central Organization for Control and Auditing to clarify responsibilities and reveal the truth behind these events.

The same sources also criticized the performance of the supervising bodies, stating that the rains didn’t expose nature but rather revealed the inadequacy and corruption of institutions. They demanded that all those who caused the waste of public funds be held accountable, emphasizing that recurring crises can only end with radical solutions and genuine accountability for the corrupt.

Hundreds of Millions Vanish into Phantom Projects

On Ninetieth Street in Al-Mansoura, another story of corruption unfolds. Despite spending hundreds of millions on building underground tanks to drain water, these tanks failed to handle the volume of rainfall, completely submerging the street. This raises questions about the effectiveness and quality of the project’s execution by the Roads and Bridges Maintenance Fund.

According to sources, the question remains suspended over the flooded skies of Aden: when will the city find a radical solution to a recurring tragedy that exposes a reality where infrastructure is eroding and funds are vanishing into phantom projects that cannot withstand the first test?

YPA