Report: Iran-Backed Houthis are Creating Fuel Crisis

Houthi militias have created a fuel crisis in areas falling under their control by seeking to expand the black market and generate more revenues to fund their war, a Yemeni report has said.

While the official stations close their doors under the pretext of lack of fuel, the black market, to which the quantities go, is active under the auspices and official supervision of the Houthi militia authority, which is of course due to the huge difference in price.

The fuel crisis has become a daily reality in the streets of the capital, Sanaa, and areas under the control of the Houthi militia, in conjunction with the remarkable spread and expansion of black markets.

A report issued by the technical office of the government’s economic committee revealed that Yemen's fuel imports last year were sufficient to cover the needs of Yemenis until the end of October, a sign that the current crises are created by the Houthis to boost the black market.

It pointed out that the imports, compared to the same period in 2019, increased 13 percent with a total of 3,260,443 tons, 50 percent of which were sent to Houthi-run areas.

The report showed that the quantities of fuel that actually entered the Houthi-controlled areas reached (618) thousand tons, most of which came via UN envoy to Yemen Martin Griffiths to Houthi dealers.

The report, published on the committee's Facebook page, stated that the insurgents’ actions have led to a 150 percent rise in the price of fuel.

At least 36 ships have been granted exemptions to enter Hodeidah port from October 2019 to August 2020, according to the report.

It stated that many merchants working in Houthi-controlled areas began importing fuel to the ports of liberated areas. Some of the fuel has been transported by land to the areas subjected to militia control. But Houthis tried to deliberately impede the move, creating a humanitarian crisis that further boosts the black market.