YEMEN Press Agency

Mass protests erupt in Aden as city faces worst power outage in history

ADEN Oct. 22 (YPA) – Angry protests broke out in the southern Yemeni city of Aden on Tuesday evening, particularly in the Khormaksar district, as the city plunged into a complete and unprecedented power outage. The blackout, coupled with deteriorating living conditions and months-long delays in public sector salaries, triggered a wave of public outrage.

Protesters blocked roads and set tires on fire, bringing traffic to a standstill and drawing attention to the humanitarian crisis deepening in the southern port city. The entire city was cloaked in darkness, prompting activists to describe the outage as the worst in Aden’s history.

Video footage circulating online showed Abu Hammam, a prominent figure in the so-called “Southern Resistance,” joining demonstrators on the streets.

He warned against any violent crackdown on protestors and held the Saudi-Emirati coalition responsible for the dire situation.

Online, criticism surged under trending hashtags such as #Aden_Without_Electricity and #South_Under_PovertyLine, with citizens expressing frustration toward local authorities, the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council (STC), and the government loyal to the Saudi-led coalition.

Protesters called for the resignation of Electricity Minister Mani’ bin Mahmoud, accusing him of incompetence.

The STC also faced backlash over its failure to address chronic outages. Meanwhile, political leaders are trading accusations, with pro-coalition official Hani bin Buraik named in corruption claims — though some say the criticism is driven by regional bias.

The ongoing crisis reflects growing public frustration over the collapse of basic services and worsening economic conditions, amid a complex and fragmented political scene, widely criticized for its inability to offer practical solutions that address the concerns of ordinary citizens.

 

@E.Y.M

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