This is the fourth Ramadan the people of Yemen are marking in the midst of war and destruction. One result of the conflict is a rise in prices, which has increased their suffering during this holy month.
After three years of war, with overcrowded hospitals and skyrocketing prices, the people are not hopeful they will have a blessed Ramadan.
“The conditions during Ramadan are very bad,” Sami Shunaif, a resident of the Yemeni capital Sanaa, told Rudaw. “The hospitals are crowded and the finances of the people are very bad. I have personally bought a quarter of what I bought in previous years for my needs for Ramadan.”
The cost of basic goods has had an obvious impact. The marketplace is almost empty.
“The prices are crazy. Besides, there are no salaries. They have given us half salaries. How can we live off of this half salary? It isn’t enough. The price of ten kilos of rice is 18,000, meaning $35,” Abdulhalim al-Matari lamented.
Citizens are welcoming the month of Ramadan with their pockets empty and prices far beyond their reach.
“The prices usually increase under these circumstances due to the tyrannical siege on our country and that is normal,” another resident, Ali al-Haj, told Rudaw.
“Most people can’t afford the basic necessities for Ramadan. Also, the nation is living in the most difficult stages of life for a Yemeni citizen,” Ali Abdulsalam added.
Money worries are only a fraction of what Yemenis are facing. In the ongoing state of war, the national poverty rate has increased and the lives of millions of people are at risk. People in Sanaa have been forced once again to scale back their Ramadan preparations.
The Saudi-led coalition, which is backed by western powers, has accused Iran of arming Shiite Houthi rebels with missiles in the conflict. Iran denies the charge and always argues that its missile program is for defensive purposes.
The Houthi-led rebels took control of the capital city of Sanaa in September 2014. Six months later, the Saudi coalition began militarily supporting the Yemeni government, while trying to oust the rebels.
Roughly 10,000 people have been killed in what the United Nations has called “the world’s worst humanitarian crisis,” as 22.2 million people need aid because of imminent famine, cholera, and diphtheria outbreaks.
