UAE's $1 Billion Yemen Energy Pledge: Hope Amid Civil War Crisis

The announcement was made on Wednesday (local time) following a meeting in Aden between Presidential Leadership Council chief Rashad Al-Alimi and UAE Ambassador Mohamed Hamad Al Zaabi, who reaffirmed Abu Dhabi's intention to help restore Yemen's battered power network.

Yemen has faced chronic electricity outages for more than two decades, with southern provinces like Aden experiencing blackouts that can stretch up to 12 hours a day. Damage to power plants, limited fuel supplies and fragmented authorities have left millions relying on private generators and small-scale solar systems.

The UAE's new pledge coincided with the First National Energy Conference held in Aden, where government officials, investors, and renewable energy experts gathered to discuss long-term reforms aimed at stabilising the grid and attracting financing to the country, reports Xinhua, quoting the state-run Saba news agency.

Additionally, Yemen has been mired in a civil war since late 2014 when the Houthis seized several northern provinces, forcing the internationally recognised government out of the capital Sanaa. Over the past decade, the country's humanitarian crisis has steadily deepened as multiple pressures converge.

The conflict has damaged infrastructure, disrupted transport and markets, and limited access to health and nutrition services. Prolonged instability has also weakened state institutions and driven a sharp economic decline. As the local currency loses value and food prices climb, essential goods have become increasingly unaffordable for ordinary families. Together, these factors have deepened food insecurity nationwide, leaving millions struggling to meet their daily needs.

The worsening economic hardship is pushing many families to desperate measures. In public markets across Aden, a growing number of families are resorting to selling household goods to pay for food and medicine.

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- IANS