Yemen: Household gas crisis doubles the suffering of the people in Houthi controlled-areas

The areas under the control of the Houthis are witnessing a  acute household gas crisis for the second month in a row, amid  accusations of the Houthis of fabricating the crisis.

Local sources said that the Houthis have suspended distributing  household gas to citizens in large neighborhoods of the capital,  Sana'a, noting that the price of a gas cylinder in the black markets has reached YR25,000 ($45).

Informed sources indicate the Houthis' involvement in raising fuel prices through their continuous operation of the black market controlled by prominent leaders, either directly or through establishing commercial alliances with businessmen who responded to Houthi pressure.

Residents of the Yemeni capital, Sana'a, complain of the difficulty of obtaining gas cylinders over the past weeks due to their almost complete absence at the neighborhood Chief. In some residential neighborhoods, the citizen waits for a gas cylinder  that is delivered to the neighborhood chief for long days until he is  given one cylinder, which is not enough for a week.

Residents said that some well-to-do citizens resorted to buying them from the black market at its high price, but most of the citizens are forced to sleep for several nights in front of some gas stations upon hearing news of the imminent arrival of a tanker loaded with gas to fill their tanks, so that they may obtain a cylinder at its official price.

The  domestic gas crisis coincides with a similar manufactured crisis in fuel by the Houthis, as the prices of a 20-liter oil canister in  Houthi-controlled areas amounted to about YR30,000 ($50), the highest in its history, which was negatively reflected and caused an increase in prices, basic foodstuffs and transportation costs in the areas under the control of the militia.

Since the militia’s decision to float the import of oil derivatives in 2015, and allow traders to supply them to the country instead of the oil company, Houthi names have emerged that have worked from the beginning to remove any competition by real businessmen in favor of Houthi leaders, most notably in the oil field called Daghsan Mohammed Daghsan, and Mohammed Abdu Al-Salam (The Houthi official spokesman).

Earlier, (Regain Yemen) organization revealed that Mohammed Abdu Al-Salam managed through his relatives 27 companies, including oil companies. Sources estimated his acquisition of 60 percent of the trade in oil and gas derivatives in the militia-controlled areas.

The largest commercial group specialized in domestic gas, is the Al-Mafzar Group, which entered into a partnership of interests with the Houthis. Through the latter, the group obtained a near-monopoly status in exchange for the sharing of revenues and profits exceeding $26 per cylinder, according to the current black market prices. This group of eight dealers owns 853 trailers.

The commercial group, which occupies the second place for domestic gas, is represented by the "Abu Nab Group", which owns 668 trailers, and it also preferred to enter into a commercial partnership with the Houthi leaders.

Since their takeover of the capital, Sanaa and several areas, the Iran-backed Houthis have deliberately created successive crises in household gas and oil derivatives, with the aim of making way for the black markets, which bring their leaders huge sums of money and fantastic profits.