Water shortage adds to Yemen’s insurgency troubles

Sabri Mujahid
For Al-Shorfa.com
2009-09-05

Boys fill cans with water from a public tap in Sanaa on Aug. 27. Water shortages are forcing many poorer villagers to relocate to Yemen's urban areas, where the situation is hardly better. (Reuters/Khaled Abdullah)

SANAA — The Yemeni government is facing a number of serious challenges simultaneously, including the threat of sectarian rebels in the north; separatists in the south; an influx of Al-Qaeda fighters crossing the border from Saudi Arabia; and a persistent drought that has left water in the country’s main reservoirs at critically low levels.

Occasional light rainfall has done little more than dampen the soil and slightly lower the temperature of suffocating August winds. As a result, the country is facing a serious water problem and – worse still – the possibility of a crippling famine.

In Sanaa, sources are reporting that some residents have water in their homes just one day out of nine; others have no supply at all. Of a total of 180 wells, only 80 are currently functioning, due to the falling water table.

Experts say that despite the crisis, some residents still do not grasp the seriousness of the situation. Yemeni World Bank expert Naji Abu Hatem said on Aug. 29 that, “The public cannot believe the extent of the problem. They see it as just a temporary setback. They say, ‘God is good; He will see that we have water.’ Water is Yemen’s number one problem, though.”

Sanaa is not the only city affected by the drought. In coastal Aden in the south of the country, water shortages have caused an escalation in violence. On Aug. 24, a man was shot dead by a police officer during a dispute over water that erupted into violence.

Experts have noted that while the Middle East is suffering an accelerated general decline in water levels, Yemen is the worst hit. UNDP director for water management initiatives in the Arab world Hosni Khardaji said, “Yemen’s yearly water supply per person averages a mere 100 cubic metres, or one-tenth the world’s water poverty level, which is 1,000 cubic metres supply per person.”

Sources: Al-Sharq Al-Awsat/ Gulf News/ Reuters Arabia

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