Electricity

Editor’s Note: This analysis first appeared in The Week in Yemen, the Sana’a Center’s weekly report series. During a meeting in Riyadh, the Presidential Leadership Council (PLC) discussed the implementation of the government’s 2026 program alongside projected state budget figures. The draft program—a copy of which was viewed by the Sana’a Center—is structured into three tiers: a situational assessment, the…

— Testament of a local resident who witnessed the US raid on Yakla, Al-Bayda, in 2017. With its central location bordering eight other governorates, Al Bayda is considered one of Yemen's most important regions. It was on the frontline between North and South Yemen prior to unification in 1990. Its predominantly Shafi’i (Sunni) population had a history of conflict with…

Yemen’s economy remains under severe strain, with its real GDP projected to decline by 1.5 percent in 2025. According to the World Food Programme (WFP), 61 percent of surveyed households in the country struggled to meet their minimum food needs in November. Of this group, 35 percent were facing severe food insecurity. Inadequate food consumption affected 63 percent of households…

In early December, armed forces affiliated with the secessionist, UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council (STC) seized control of Hadramawt and Al-Mahra, displacing tribal forces led by Amr Bin Habrish and 1st Military Region army units affiliated with the Islah party. With its eastward expansion, the STC now controls nearly all of the territory of the former South Yemen state, including its…

Yemen’s energy sector is currently facing a severe crisis. For millions of Yemenis, accessing reliable electricity is a daily struggle, characterized by prolonged blackouts, limited fuel supplies, and deteriorating infrastructure, which in turn exacerbate the country's humanitarian conditions. This policy brief underscores the importance of a just and conflict-sensitive energy transition in Yemen, addressing the interconnected challenges of conflict, economic…

The outbreak of violent protests across Hadramawt since late July has plunged the region into chaos, as political, military, and tribal groups vie for control of Yemen’s largest governorate. Persistent fuel shortages have caused severe blackouts in the capital, Mukalla, and other cities across Hadramawt, as hundreds of people have taken to the streets for weeks of protests. Chief among…

The Yemeni rial has seen a dramatic recovery since late July, appreciating by over 44 percent after months of hemorrhaging value. Its sudden rise is the result of a multi-pronged approach led by the government-run Central Bank of Yemen in Aden (CBY-Aden). Key measures have included curbing speculation and currency manipulation, institutionalizing import financing, and mandating the exclusive use of…

Spring 2025 marked a turbulent new phase in Yemen’s conflict, as the region experienced one of its most volatile and contradictory periods in recent years. In the past three months, an intensified US air campaign, multiple Israeli airstrikes, a rumored anti-Houthi ground offensive, and direct military confrontation between Israel and Iran deepened regional instability and emboldened the Houthi group (Ansar…

On May 3, Yemen’s embattled Prime Minister Ahmed Awad bin Mubarak resigned after just over a year in office, following months of clashes with Presidential Leadership Council (PLC) chief Rashad al-Alimi, as well as other PLC and cabinet members. Finance Minister Salem bin Breik was immediately named as his replacement. Bin Mubarak said his resignation stemmed from his efforts to…