Aden, Yemen – Abu Amjad was shopping with his two children last week and was finally able to take them out to buy new clothes. This is an important Ramadan tradition in Yemen.
The 35-year-old was a teacher and had just received his paycheck. The payment was a sign that the situation in Aden was improving. The salaries are being funded by Saudi Arabia as a way to support the Yemeni government, which recently arrived to take control of Aden after the defeat of separatist forces.
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But trouble and instability are never far away in Yemen.
Amjad, 10, and Mona, 7, were just trying on costumes when shots rang out. Shoppers froze. Amjad and Mona hugged their father and asked him to leave.
About 3 kilometers (2 miles) away, security forces opened fire on demonstrators who tried to break through the gates of al-Masik Palace, where Yemeni government officials have been based since arriving from Riyadh a week ago.
The gunshots shattered the family’s moment of joy.
Abu Amjad told Al Jazeera: “Seeing people bleeding spoils your joy and hearing long gunshots takes away your peace.”
After years in exile, Yemen’s Saudi-backed and UN-recognized cabinet will spend Ramadan in Aden, a move that coincides with improved basic services and a renewed sense of relief. But that sense of relief was overshadowed by deadly clashes between security forces and anti-government protesters that left at least one person dead.
“This was the first clash since the government returned to Aden. Our fear is that it may not be the last,” Abu Amjad said.
government victory
Yemen’s new Prime Minister Shaya al-Zindani has said that stabilizing Aden and other government-controlled areas is one of the new government’s main priorities.
The Yemeni government is now in its strongest position in years. The advance by the separatist Southern Transitional Council (STC) in eastern Yemen late last year was ultimately a step too far for the United Arab Emirates-backed group.
Saudi Arabia, believing that the STC’s advance crossed a red line, provided full military support to the Yemeni government and allowed it to occupy territory that Yemen had not controlled for many years.
Currently, the Yemeni government and Saudi Arabia are focusing on attempts to improve the situation in Yemen’s southern and eastern regions under government control in order to garner more public support. That would weaken support for both the STC and the Houthi rebels, who have controlled northwestern Yemen, including the capital Sanaa, since the civil war began in 2014.
Bright streets and bustling markets
Abdulrahman Mansour, a bus driver and resident of Kormaksar in Aden, said this year’s Ramadan felt different.
“When you see the lights on in Aden and the markets bustling on Ramadan nights, it feels like a different city. The improvement is undeniable,” Mansour, 42, told Al Jazeera.
He pointed out that one of the clear differences this Ramadan period is the stable supply of electricity. “When I see this, it reminds me of before the war. We took that service for granted,” Mansour said.
“When the city is dark at night, it looks gloomy and families prefer to stay at home. The movement of people brings life to the city and helps small businesses survive, especially during Ramadan,” Mansour added.
Yemen’s Minister of Electricity Adnan Al-Khaf said last week that efforts to improve electricity services in Aden and other provinces continue, noting that Saudi Arabia’s assistance has helped improve electricity services over the past two months.
Wafik Saleh, a Yemeni economic researcher, said that improvements in the standard of living of people in Aden and southern Yemen were generally evident, especially after Saudi Arabia paid civil servant salaries and provided basic services such as water and electricity.
“Recent Saudi financial support has been very generous and can help the government during this period by enabling it to revitalize dormant resources, restart oil exports, fight corruption, and improve revenue collection efficiency through transparency and good governance,” Saleh told Al Jazeera.
However, Saleh stressed that the progress achieved so far is not the result of economic reforms by the Yemeni government, but rather thanks to Saudi Arabia’s support.
Therefore, economists say that the improvement in living conditions and currency value may not be sustainable, even if it is a positive indicator and a first step towards the country’s promised economic reforms.
“We need a comprehensive vision to develop revenue collection so that the government can implement sustainable economic reforms,” Saleh said.
Find cooking gas
Although electricity distribution has improved in Aden, other essential services remain strained. Lack of cooking gas remains a major concern. The search remains a daily struggle for families in the port city, with the crisis intensifying during Ramadan.
Lines of cars formed at the station, residents waiting with several liters (quarts) of gas in their tank.
“It’s tiring to move from station to station in search of cooking gas while fasting,” said Fawaz Ahmed, a resident of Hormaksar district for 42 years.
Fawaz cites the lack of cooking gas as the cause of hunger in the city. “If I stay here [my home] Villages will rely on firewood. But in cities, there are no such options, and even if you can find firewood on the market, it is expensive. ”
Gas distribution companies claim that the amount of cooking gas being supplied is inadequate and that this is the root cause of the crisis. The supplies will be transported from Marib province in northern Yemen.
The tension continues
The lack of cooking gas means things are not going to be smooth sailing for the Yemeni government in Aden.
And opponents are likely to use ongoing issues to stoke further unrest.
Majid al-Dhali, editor-in-chief of Yemen’s independent news site Malaqibun Press, called the situation in Aden “very worrying.”
“What happened to the protesters at the start of Ramadan highlights the fragility of the political and security situation. Tensions will continue,” al-Dhari said.
“STC will continue to mobilize its supporters against the government. This is the last card it will play to restore lost political gains,” al-Dhari added.
In a statement last week, the STC announced that people who took part in recent protests were targeted in raids and arbitrary arrests. The statement stressed that such attacks would only strengthen the resolve of separatists in the south.
For Abu Amjad, the demonstrations in Aden are creating an opening for chaos, which he resents.
“At least Ramadan should pass without protests. Political actors should save us this month so we can fast and share the joy with our children,” he said.
