A technical malfunction in one of the turbines at the Marib gas plant in northeastern Yemen has plunged the province into darkness, according to a source at the Marib Electricity Office. The outage occurred on Saturday, June 8th, 2024, leaving residents sweltering under temperatures exceeding 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) in Marib City and reaching 41 degrees Celsius (106 degrees Fahrenheit) in the Sa'fer region and the neighboring Wadi district.

The source, who requested anonymity as they were not authorized to speak to the media, stated that engineering teams are working to rectify the issue and restore power. They expect the plant to be back online within the next few hours.

The outage comes at a particularly challenging time, as the demand for electricity surges during the summer months, especially in the numerous displacement camps housing tens of thousands of families who have fled conflict. Many of these families reside in temporary shelters made of tents or straw, making the lack of air conditioning particularly difficult.

The Marib gas plant has faced increasing pressure in recent months due to the rising electricity demand, particularly with the onset of summer. In May, the plant operated on a single turbine with a capacity of 90 megawatts, struggling to meet the growing demand of 140 megawatts. This led to frequent power outages and forced the plant to prioritize maintenance on its other turbines.

The recent technical malfunction highlights the precarious state of Yemen's electricity infrastructure, which has been severely affected by the ongoing conflict. The lack of reliable power supply further exacerbates the humanitarian crisis in the country, particularly for displaced families who rely on electricity for necessities like water and lighting.