ADEN, Yemen — On January 2, 2025, frustrated residents in Aden, Yemen’s temporary capital, took to the streets to protest ongoing electricity outages that have extended to more than 13 hours a day.

According to eyewitnesses speaking to Barran Press, the protests erupted in the Sheikh Othman district early in the morning, where demonstrators set tires ablaze and blocked key roads, including the main route connecting Aden and Taiz at Cairo Roundabout. The unrest then spread to the Mansoura district, where protesters halted vehicle traffic, causing significant delays and frustration among commuters.

The demonstrators accused local authorities and the internationally recognized Yemeni government of failing to implement lasting solutions to the electricity crisis and ensuring a steady supply of fuel for power plants.

Earlier this week, the Aden branch of the Public Electricity Corporation attributed the increasing outages to a shortage of fuel necessary for operating generation stations. However, the corporation has not provided a clear timeline for resolving the issue, further aggravating public discontent.

Employees at the Aden Electricity Corporation reported that most power generation stations are currently out of service, including the key Petro Masila station, with only 40 megawatts of electricity being generated by the Mansoura station.

They indicated that the leadership of the electricity corporation has repeatedly appealed to the Presidential Leadership Council and the Yemeni government for urgent fuel supplies. Additionally, the corporation has called for a swift agreement with a supplier to secure emergency fuel supplies to operate the stations, alongside a request for regular monthly fuel allocations to prevent recurring crises.

The electricity sector in Aden faces instability in diesel and crude oil supplies, significantly impacting the quality of services provided to residents, amid a lack of substantial solutions from responsible authorities.