Several patients lose consciousness due to Aden heat-wave

ADEN, June 17 (YPA) – Aden city, southern Yemen, has witnessed a surge in heat-related fainting and exhaustion cases over the past few hours as soaring temperatures coincided with a near-collapse of the city’s electricity system.

According to local media and human rights sources, hospitals across the city have received numerous patients suffering from heatstroke and loss of consciousness, with temperatures exceeding 46°C.

The situation has been aggravated by prolonged power outages lasting between eight and 14 consecutive hours, with electricity available for only about two hours at a time. The outages have intensified suffering in homes and residential neighborhoods, prompting growing public criticism of the Saudi-backed government.

Sources also reported that several elderly people and children have died in recent weeks due to extreme heat and humidity.

The widespread cases of severe skin conditions resembling burns have also been recorded among children and women following prolonged exposure to harsh weather without adequate cooling.

Residents have called on the relevant authorities and Saudi Arabia to intervene urgently to address the power crisis and mitigate the effects of the heatwave, warning that the current conditions pose a serious threat to public health, particularly for vulnerable groups.

Meanwhile, Mohammed Al-Musbahi, spokesperson for the Electricity Ministry, acknowledged the severity of the crisis, stating that the Saudi fuel grant is only a temporary measure aimed at preventing a complete collapse of the power system during the summer rather than a long-term solution.

He revealed that Aden’s electricity demand currently stands at 686.6 megawatts, while actual generation reaches only 255.8 megawatts during daytime hours and drops to 193.6 megawatts at night, leaving the city with a power deficit of nearly 493 megawatts.

AA