With attractive offers and prices, Houthi militias flood Sana'a markets with expired food and consumer goods

These goods include soft drinks, cheese, milk, various biscuits, cans of tuna, canned honey, chocolate, legumes, cooking oils, and various types of cleaning tools, which are displayed on the main and side streets under the sunlight, without fear of anyone.

Small tanks also roam residential neighborhoods through loudspeakers carrying various types of materials that are not fit for consumption and are displayed at low prices. Many residents see them as suitable for them given the harsh living conditions they suffer from, in light of the Houthi militias seizing employees’ salaries for years, in addition to the state of unemployment and the absence of sources of income.

Ahmed Ali, a citizen living in Sana'a, confirms that he suffered from severe food poisoning after eating expired tuna that he bought from one of the vendors who sell these products on the streets of Sana'a.

He told "Yemeni Youth Net": I took advantage of the difference of 200 riyals from its price in grocery stores, but I took out 7,000 riyals for tests and treatments, explaining that people's demand for such dangerous materials is a result of the poverty prevailing among many families in Sana'a, which forces them to buy their needs from expired materials without caring about the consequences.

With the weak or non-existent supervision by the Houthi militias, in addition to their indifference to people's lives in the areas under their control, this contributed to the spread of these expired consumer goods and their widespread marketing in Sana'a, which poses great risks to consumers, according to many doctors.

The physician, Dr. Imad Al-Gharafi, said that food poisoning, the symptoms and signs of which appear quickly, is one of the most prominent dangers of consuming these expired materials. The poisoning takes the form of nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, colic, and fever. Bacterial poisoning may destroy the kidneys, and the infected person is exposed to the risk of early death.

Al-Gharafi warned in an interview with “Yemeni Youth Net” of the danger of using these expired materials. In a situation like this of chaos, negligence and lack of supervision, the individual must carefully examine the food before buying it, to ensure its safety, smell and touch the product, and if the consumer feels something strange, he must stop eating it.

He advised against buying food items of unknown identity, or those sold on street sidewalks with low offers and prices, even if they are close to expiring, stressing the need to protect oneself from the dangers of these products, which may cause a person to lose his life.