Sanaa .. Almost empty streets and the recovery of the black market for oil derivatives
English - Monday 22 June 2020 الساعة 05:55 pm
Sana'a, Newsyemen, private:
The capital, Sanaa and its environs, is witnessing a crisis of oil derivatives, amid a remarkable recovery of the black market in this sector, which leaders of the Houthi militia have monopolized and invested in since their coup against legitimacy in September 2014.
Dozens of vehicles are lining up in front of the fuel filling stations of the oil company controlled by the Houthi militia, while the streets and public roads seem almost free of movement of cars, while a self-boycott of oil derivatives is considered in protest against the Houthi militia continuing to sell these materials at prices before the global oil price falls.
On Sunday, the Houthi militia claimed that nearly the available quantities of petroleum products were depleted at petrol stations without reference to the contents of the oil company’s stores and smuggling large quantities to the black market and the price of twenty liters of gasoline on the black market rose to 18,000 riyals.
In what was considered a public investment in the suffering of the citizens, the Houthi leader appointed as director of the oil company in Sanaa, Ammar Al-Adrai, noted that "most service sectors, especially hospitals, have ceased to perform their services", and alleged that the Arab coalition forces led by "Saudi Arabia and the UAE" detained 15 ships loaded with oil derivatives.
The Houthi leader revealed his group's refusal to enter oil derivative trucks from the southern and eastern governorates to ease the burden of the crisis on consumers in Sana'a and the neighboring governorates, and they allegedly caught locomotives loaded with adulterated oil derivatives at the entry ports from the southern and eastern governorates.
Owners of petrol stations in Sanaa accuse the Houthi militia of fomenting oil derivatives crises, by forcing petrol stations to close in front of consumers, reducing the shares distributed to them, and operating a single “pump” when allowing filling for limited periods, with the aim of selling stocks of petroleum derivatives on the black market, especially in light of the decreased demand for fuel purchase since the blessed Eid Al-Fitr holiday, and the growing calls for a boycott.
On Wednesday, June 10, the Houthi militia began an attempt to fabricate a new crisis in the oil derivatives market, under the name of "implementing the numbering system in petroleum stations."
Since the price of oil fell to its lowest level globally about 3 months ago, the Houthi militia in Sanaa and its neighboring governorates has continued to double the burden on citizens by selling 20 litres of gasoline at 5900 riyals and 20 litres of diesel at 6900 riyals.
