Aden plunges into darkness.. Widespread protests and street closures due to electricity crisis

The temporary capital, Aden, is witnessing angry popular protests this evening, Wednesday, denouncing the power outage and the collapse of basic services.

Local sources told Yemen Youth Net that the protesters closed main streets in the areas of Mansoura, Khormaksar, and Sheikh Othman, and set fire to damaged car tires, in protest against the ongoing electricity crisis with no solutions on the horizon.

According to sources, the city, which is under the control of the Southern Transitional Council, is experiencing a state of complete paralysis, after the power plants went out of service for more than 24 hours, in the absence of any measures to address the crisis.

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Peaceful angry marches roam the main streets of Mansoura District in the capital Aden, in protest against the deterioration of living conditions and the continued power and water outages throughout the capital Aden. #Sons_of_Aden_Platform pic.twitter.com/Uyf0fXlnHO

— Sons of Aden Platform (@Aden_newss) February 5, 2025

Yesterday, Tuesday, the General Electricity Corporation of Aden announced that the last quantities of fuel operating the President's Station, which is the main source of energy in the city, had run out.

She warned of a complete shutdown of the electricity grid, which would paralyze vital sectors, including hospitals, health facilities, and water fields, in addition to its significant impact on commercial and service activities.

These developments come after the Hadhramaut Tribal Alliance announced last Sunday that it would stop exporting crude oil from the governorate as of February 3, 2025, which led to the cessation of fuel supplies allocated to operate Aden’s power stations.

The alliance's decision is due to the expiry of the deadline given to the Presidential Council to implement the plan announced early last January, which included the establishment of two power stations in the coast and valley, in addition to financing a public hospital in Ghayl Bin Yamin from oil revenues and stored fuel.

Aden residents are facing a harsh summer with power outages, amid rising popular anger and increasing demands for the government to quickly find urgent solutions to avoid the worsening of the crisis that threatens to explode into wider protests.