Yemen : Gas Shortages in Aden Leave Residents Struggling for Fuel , Cooking Supplies

Aden — Dozens of residents in southern Yemen’s Aden lined up at gas stations to refuel their vehicles, as the city grapples with a worsening shortage that has also triggered a severe crisis in household cooking gas supplies since late July.

Footage showed long queues of cars and buses outside shuttered or overcrowded stations, while rows of gas cylinders were stacked in front of distribution points.

One resident waiting for a cylinder said: “I’ve been here since 4 a.m. until noon, and I’m still waiting. Governments change one after another, but we continue to live in hell.”

Bus driver Fathi reported waiting more than nine hours at a station instead of working to support his family. 

Another citizen, Mutie al‑Sanidi, accused the gas company of deliberately creating shortages to raise prices, noting that the cost of a cylinder has jumped from 9,000 Yemeni rials (about $5.5) to 16,000 rials (about $9.7). “Our government is asleep,” he said.

The state‑run Yemen Gas Company, however, attributed the shortage to routine maintenance at Safer facilities that began on July 26 and is nearing completion. 

In a statement on August 5, the company said it is coordinating with the Ministry of Oil and local authorities to resolve distribution obstacles and ensure household gas reaches citizens across provinces as quickly as possible.

The crisis has left Aden’s residents facing long waits, rising costs, and mounting frustration, with the shortage hitting both transportation and daily household needs.