Blackouts, hunger and fear shadow daily life in Yemen’s ancient capital

Résumé détaillé

Beset by poverty, war and repression, the residents of Yemen’s ancient capital Sanaa, under Houthi control for over a decade, struggle to ...

DUBAI, Nov 12 — Beset by poverty, war and repression, the residents of Yemen’s ancient capital Sanaa, under Houthi control for over a decade, struggle to survive.

The Iran-backed Houthi movement seized the city in 2014, forcing the government to flee south and sparking a brutal civil war in one of the world’s poorest countries.

In Sanaa, said to be one of the world’s oldest continuously inhabited cities, residents say they long for the pre-war days and a measure of prosperity.

“Before the war, salaries were paid in full on a regular basis,” Ammar, a 24-year-old university student who asked not to use his last name for security reasons, told AFP by phone.

“My father is a civil servant; he falls into the category that receives half a monthly salary once every three months. My mother is a teacher and receives half-a-salary each month.”

The Old City, with some buildings dating back nearly a millennium, bustles with life as vendors display foodstuffs including grains and spices in large sacks, and restaurant owners grill meat over charcoal.

Unesco added the Old City to its World Heritage in Danger list in 2015, after it was damaged in fighting between the Houthis and a Saudi-led coalition backing the government.

The historic alleys between tall, decorated mud-brick buildings are crowded with passers-by filing beneath banners reading “Boycott American and Israeli goods”.

“We are a family of six, and my siblings are still in school. What our parents earn is not enough to cover basic needs,” Ammar said, adding that “prices have risen sharply”.

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