Radar Aden | رادار عدن

Tenth Edition | Report Date: (8/15 – 8/31) Second Half of August 2026
Geographical Scope: The Capital, Aden (Sheikh Othman, Al Mansoura, Al Mualla, Khormaksar, Al Buraiqeh, Dar Saad, Seera, Al Tawahi)

Field Report Summary

Quick Summary

This tenth edition of Radar Aden’s field reports covers the second half of August 2026 in eight directorates of the capital, Aden, drawing on direct observations and testimonies gathered by field volunteers through an integrated set of assessment forms: a field assessment of services and institutions, an assessment of public mood and trends, and documentation of incidents and events.

The most notable feature of this edition is that the picture was not entirely negative as in the previous one; volunteers recorded a striking number of reform steps and positive community initiatives alongside the ongoing service crises:

• In Dar Saad: actual maintenance of a back street left neglected for 26 years, and a tangible improvement in daily garbage collection.
• In Mualla: the Workers’ Union federation returned to normal operations after an administrative change following the recovery of its buildings and assets from the southern unions’ federation, the round-the-clock reopening of the health complex with new clinics, the opening of a prosecution office near residents, and outstanding performance by the Telecom institution.
• In Mansoura: a wide-ranging cleaning campaign and maintenance of main sewer manholes, the launch of two projects to rehabilitate the Governor’s Corniche and pave Thalatheen (30th) Street, the inauguration of a coordinating council for educational affairs, and a decision banning trailer-truck parking on streets.
• Notable community solidarity: youth-led initiatives to transport the elderly and stranded free of charge amid the transport crisis, and a community-organized arrangement in Sheikh Othman to distribute household gas at a relatively fair price, away from the black market.
• Diverse cultural and community activity: an awareness seminar on hate speech, a back-to-school festival, Aden’s third renewable energy exhibition, an art exhibition using virtual-reality technology, and a specialized medical conference attended by the Governor of Aden.
• At least six peaceful protest events in different directorates (Sira, Sheikh Othman, Mualla) demanding improved services and redress for affected groups, all of which ended without security repression or injuries.

On the other hand, the household gas crisis remained the population’s foremost concern, with nine main stations closing late in the month and black-market cylinder prices rising to between 14,000 and 36,000 rials, coinciding with escalating electricity outages reaching 6-10 hours in the evening in some neighborhoods. Volunteers also documented two serious security incidents in Dar Saad directorate that call for an urgent and transparent investigation, alongside a years-long water crisis persisting in a number of neighborhoods.

Note to reader: This summary is followed by the full detailed report, an indicator chart by district, and urgent recommendations below.

Overview

The period from 16 to 31 August 2026 was marked by a clear duality: on one hand, continued livelihood pressure from the deterioration of gas and electricity services, which worsened in some directorates; on the other, the emergence of local models for managing and responding to the crisis, whether from local authorities in certain facilities or from the community itself through solidarity and organizational initiatives. This contrast was reflected in the volunteers’ own testimonies; while some described the situation as going “from bad to worse,” others pointed to tangible “positive developments” in their neighborhoods during the very same two weeks.

Geographically, Mansoura and Dar Saad emerged as the two areas that saw the greatest amount of tangible reform activity (cleaning, road maintenance, rehabilitation projects), while Sheikh Othman directorate remained the most affected by the decline in electricity and water and by scattered security incidents, amid a continuing general state of anxiety over the security and economic situation across the city as a whole.

Follow-up on Ninth-Report Issues

Several field observations during this period intersected with files covered in the Ninth Report (1-15 August 2026), most notably:

• The household gas crisis: rather than improving, the crisis worsened in the second half of the month with nine main stations closing at once (23 August), indicating that the partial solutions previously recorded had not yet translated into sustained supply stability.
• Fuel support for electricity: volunteers reported the continued delivery of petroleum-derivative shipments to power-generation stations, funded and supervised by the Saudi Program for the Development and Reconstruction of Yemen — a continuation of one of the positive tracks noted in the Ninth Report, even as supply hours remained below residents’ expectations.
• Cleaning campaigns and infrastructure maintenance: this trend deepened in Mansoura and Dar Saad more broadly than previously reported, extending to road and manhole maintenance and Corniche rehabilitation projects, after having been confined to limited initiatives.
• Security campaigns: volunteers reported continued seizure operations against banned goods (smuggled and counterfeit medicine shipments seized by Aden Belt Forces), continuing the pattern of targeted security campaigns documented by the Ninth Report in Dar Saad.

Impact of Previous Reports (A “Radar Aden” Success Story)

From Field Monitoring to Institutional Response

During this period, Radar Aden volunteers recorded a number of concrete institutional and community steps that deserve documentation and replication as models worth emulating:

In Dar Saad Directorate

• Maintenance work began on the directorate’s back street after 26 years of neglect, met with wide welcome from residents.
• Noticeable improvement in the cleaning service, with daily garbage collection and effective clearing of public spaces.
• Abdah Fadel School preparing to receive the new school year through ongoing cleaning campaigns for classrooms and yards.
• Tender envelopes opened for investment-program projects to develop basic services and infrastructure in the directorate.

In Mualla Directorate

• The General Federation of Workers’ Unions returned to normal operations after the previous director — appointed by the now-dissolved Transitional Council — was removed and a new administration appointed.
• The health complex reopened after months of closure, with several clinics and centers opened inside it, operating around the clock.
• A prosecution office opened near the local council, after having been out of residents’ reach.
• The public Telecom institution operates 24 hours a day, described by residents as “an excellent institution in its work.”

In Mansoura Directorate

• A broad cleaning campaign launched on 23 August and continued for a week, with technical teams carrying out maintenance of main manholes on 90th Street and in Kabuta.
• A rehabilitation and maintenance project began on the Governor’s Corniche, along with paving works on Thalatheen (30th) Street from Al-Omari roundabout to Al-Wali station.
• A decision banning trailer trucks from parking on streets, to ease traffic congestion.
• Launch of a coordinating council for educational affairs, with the participation of educational, academic, and community leaders, aimed at unifying the efforts of the local authority, the education office, and the community.

Other Initiatives

• Completion of the first phase of rehabilitating and equipping Al-Inshaat Park, with support from ADRA, to provide a safe outlet for families and children.
• Disbursement of the Governor’s August incentive to staff and researchers of the technical education and vocational training office via Aden Islamic Bank.

A human story

in Mualla, a number of activists and residents stood in solidarity with an elderly woman selling tea and cakes on the street — a spontaneous local solidarity initiative documented by one volunteer, who described it as one of the most humane scenes of the period.

Most Notable Challenges and Field Indicators

1. The Worsening Household Gas Crisis

Despite the community initiatives noted above, the gas crisis remained the primary concern for residents across almost all eight directorates, with nine main filling stations closing on 23 August because gas trailers from Safer failed to arrive, and black-market cylinder prices rising to between 14,000 and 20,000 rials — reaching as high as 36,000 rials in some neighborhoods.

2. Escalating Electricity Outage Hours

Supply hours ranged between zero and three hours a day in most monitored directorates, against outages reaching 6-10 hours in the evening in Sheikh Othman and the Kabuta area of Mansoura, while areas in Buraiqa (Inma’a Al-Aqariya) recorded near-normal supply, at a rate of 2-3 hours on versus only 2-3 hours off during the morning period.

3. Serious Security Incidents Requiring Accountability

Volunteers documented two extremely serious security incidents in Dar Saad directorate during the period (full detail in Section Two), one resulting in the death of a citizen while peacefully demanding his financial dues, and the second an armed clash linked to extortion allegations at a gas queue, followed by a home raid that, according to witness accounts, involved excesses warranting an independent investigation.

4. Continued Water Deterioration in Several Neighborhoods

The Abdullah Ghanem (Sheikh Othman) and Al-Kathiri (Mansoura) neighborhoods remain without piped water for years according to resident accounts, in contrast to relatively regular pumping continuing in Dar Saad and Buraiqa, while it settled at twice a week for no more than six hours in Khormaksar — reflecting a stark disparity between directorates in the quality of this basic service.

A Rising Wave of Peaceful Protests

Volunteers recorded at least six peaceful protest events during the period, primarily demanding improved electricity and water services and redress for groups marginalized from financial settlements. Field data confirm that all these events ended without security repression or injuries, reflecting an existing space for peaceful expression despite the severity of the crises.

Response Roadmap (Key Urgent Recommendations)

Based on the field indicators documented during the period (16-31 August 2026), “Radar Aden” platform recommends urgent action along the following parallel response tracks:

Track One: Immediate Security Accountability in Dar Saad

Open an urgent, independent, and transparent investigation into the killing of a citizen by National Security forces while he was peacefully demanding his financial dues, with public disclosure of its findings and accountability for those involved. In parallel, investigate the allegations of excesses accompanying the second Dar Saad raid (the clash at the gas queue), including the alleged miscarriage resulting from the terror caused, as these are considered the two most urgent files of the period, without exception.

Track Two: Curbing the Household Gas Crisis and Preventing Extortion in Queues

Urgently review the mechanism for distributing gas to stations and the reason nine main stations closed simultaneously, alongside a strict review of the conduct of security personnel at filling points to stop unofficial fee-collection practices. The platform recommends studying the replication of the fair community-distribution model implemented by Sheikh Othman youth, with temporary official support until supply stabilizes.

Track Three: Addressing Escalating Power Outages in the Worst-Affected Directorates

Give immediate priority to Sheikh Othman and Kabuta (Mansoura), where evening outages exceeded 8-10 hours, while ensuring continued delivery of petroleum derivatives to Al-Ra’ees (Al-Hiswa) station to avoid its complete shutdown.

Track Four: Redress for Neighborhoods Deprived of Water for Years

Allocate urgent intervention for the Abdullah Ghanem neighborhood (Sheikh Othman) and the Al-Kathiri neighborhood (Mansoura), while studying the transfer of the stable pumping experience in Dar Saad and Buraiqa to them as a practicable solution.

Track Five: Replicating Successful Institutional Models Instead of Confining Them Locally

Explicit official support for repeating the Mualla experience (administrative reform of service institutions) and the Mansoura and Dar Saad experience (cleaning and road maintenance) in the remaining five directorates, as practical evidence that improvement is possible when administrative will is present.

Track Six: Protecting the Existing Space for Peaceful Protest

Treat the six protest events documented by the platform as a healthy indicator of an existing civic outlet, by ensuring repression continues to be avoided in dealing with them, and by responding substantively to their service-related demands rather than leaving them unresolved.

Detailed Report

Introduction

“Radar Aden” platform continues to monitor and document the capital Aden’s interaction with its interlocking crises, presenting in this tenth edition a picture of the second half of August 2026 — a period that combined the household gas crisis escalating to an unprecedented peak, represented by the simultaneous closure of nine main filling stations, with a wave of institutional reforms and notable community initiatives in several directorates. The period saw no improvement in the acute water crisis in the Abdullah Ghanem neighborhood in Sheikh Othman and the Al-Kathiri neighborhood in Mansoura, both still described as “cut off for years,” in contrast to the continuation of Mansoura’s success story in addressing its historic sewage crisis and its expansion into broader infrastructure rehabilitation projects.

The period recorded two serious incidents in Dar Saad directorate: the killing of a citizen by National Security forces while peacefully demanding his financial dues, and an armed clash linked to extortion allegations at a gas queue followed by a home raid that, according to witnesses, involved excesses warranting investigation, alongside a third, separate security raid to apprehend a wanted individual that ended in an injury and his escape. By contrast, the scope of peaceful popular protests expanded to include four directorates (Sira, Sheikh Othman, Mualla, in addition to their continuation in Mansoura), all of which ended without notable security repression. Volunteers recorded no direct sighting of Houthi drone incursions during this period — a theme that had been a central axis of the Ninth Report — a methodological note that calls for caution against reading it as evidence that this threat has receded, rather than simply an absence of monitoring for it.

The period saw wide controversy over the Minister of Education’s decision to strip an outstanding student in Al-Mahra governorate of her first-place ranking without clear legal justification, alongside symbolic tension over the school anthem, as the official anthem of the Republic of Yemen was sung in some Aden schools for the first time in years on the Governor’s instructions, while other schools insisted on the Southern Transitional Council’s anthem, amid campaigns by Transitional Council activists against the Mansoura directorate manager over this file. Removal of images of leader Aidarous al-Zubaidi from a street in Mualla was also observed, a limited local symbolic indicator that should not be read as a general trend.

The black-market price of household gas cylinders rose to unprecedented levels of 36,000 rials in some neighborhoods, while chicken and qat prices recorded a notable decline specifically in Sheikh Othman. Commercial activity in most markets remained “cautious,” with the exception of markets in Buraiqa and Mansoura that maintained full normal activity, while the gas crisis caused partial paralysis of transport and the closure of some popular restaurants, and the return of firewood sales as a forced alternative for some poor families.

Conflicting indicators emerged between widespread expressions of despair and a desire for reverse migration in Tawahi and Mansoura (the areas with the highest proportion of residents from outside Aden governorate) on one hand, and notable community solidarity — youth initiatives to transport the elderly and stranded free of charge, and community coordination to distribute gas at a fair price — on the other. Volunteers also documented a striking human story in Mualla, in which residents and activists stood in solidarity with an elderly woman selling tea and cakes on the street, alongside diverse cultural and community activity that included awareness seminars, festivals, and exhibitions attended by local officials.

As with previous editions, this edition relies on a documented field assessment through the eyes of youth-committee volunteers using an integrated set of assessment forms (general assessment, monitoring of public mood, and documentation of events and incidents), alongside daily follow-up of security, political, and economic developments in the capital, achieving the principle of triangulated verification and limiting the impact of circulating rumors.

This section presents the full detailed reading of the data for the second half of August 2026 (16-31 August), building on the quick summary in the preceding pages, and aiming to present the full field evidence underlying each conclusion stated briefly in that summary. Whereas the summary offers a condensed reading aimed at decision-makers and the general reader, this section presents the evidence, details, and supporting tables for each finding, allowing for scrutiny, verification, and tracking the context of each individual case.

It should be noted that the data in this section reflects distributed coverage according to the presence of volunteers in each neighborhood, and is not a comprehensive statistical survey of every directorate; the figures and prices mentioned are direct field observations by volunteers, and do not substitute for an official comprehensive market or service survey. Nevertheless, the repetition of these observations across different directorates and volunteers gives them considerable indicative value regarding the general direction of conditions.

Follow-up on Ninth-Report Issues

The Ninth Report (1-15 August 2026) addressed a set of critical files under the heading “An unprecedented gas crisis and drone threats in Aden.” Below is a detailed tracking of each file’s trajectory through the second half of the month, based on what volunteers documented during this period:

1. The Household Gas Crisis: From “Unprecedented” to a Compound Crisis

The Ninth Report described gas supply halting for an entire day at some stations, with other stations receiving only 4 tons instead of the usual quantity. Rather than easing, the crisis escalated in the second half of the month to a new peak: nine main filling stations closed at once on 23 August because gas trailers from Safer failed to arrive, and black-market cylinder prices rose from Ninth Report levels (around 30,000 rials) to a wider range reaching 36,000 rials in some neighborhoods (Tawahi specifically). This development indicates that the partial, temporary solutions documented by the Ninth Report did not translate into structural stability in the supply chain, and the crisis continued to be driven by the same root causes.

2. The Houthi Drone Threat: An Absence of New Monitoring Should Not Be Read as Stability

Near-daily Houthi drone incursions constituted one of the two main axes of the Ninth Report. Volunteers this period recorded no direct sighting incident of drones in their field forms or public-mood assessments. This absence cannot be read as conclusive evidence that the threat has receded, since the scope of monitoring this period focused more on service issues and civilian incidents than on aerial security monitoring; rather, it is recorded as a methodological note calling for renewed focus on this file in the next edition to confirm whether the danger persists or has genuinely declined.

3. The Water Crisis in Sheikh Othman: From “Years of Interruption” to an Unchanged Reality

The Ninth Report reported that the Abdullah Ghanem neighborhood suffers an interruption extending “for years.” The Tenth Report confirms the continuation of this reality without any tangible improvement: a volunteer in the neighborhood reported that water “has been cut off for years now, rarely comes, and when it does come it is weak and smells foul.” No data this period indicated the start of any official handling of this file, making it one of the most chronic files to have seen no institutional response across two consecutive report editions.

4. Mansoura’s Success in Resolving the 26-Year Sewage Crisis: From an Exceptional Fix to a Model to Build On

The Ninth Report documented the near-complete resolution of a 26-year-old sewage crisis in Mansoura, describing it as one of the most notable service achievements of that period. Data from this period confirm that this achievement was not an isolated event but the beginning of a trajectory: during 16-31 August, Mansoura saw an expanded maintenance campaign for main manholes on 90th Street and in Kabuta, alongside the launch of a week-long comprehensive cleaning campaign, and the start of two projects to rehabilitate the Governor’s Corniche and pave Thalatheen (30th) Street. This timeline (an exceptional fix in the first half of August → systematic maintenance and infrastructure projects in the second half of August) reinforces the hypothesis that resolving the sewage crisis was not an isolated event, but generated momentum that drove the local authority to expand its administrative and service investment in the directorate — even as sewage overflow continued in other neighborhoods of the same directorate (Shamil and Kabuta) according to more than one volunteer’s testimony, meaning the achievement has not yet been extended across the directorate’s full geographic scope.

5. Targeted Security Campaigns: From Weapons Seizures in Dar Saad to Seizing Smuggled Medicine Citywide

The Ninth Report praised a successful weapons-seizure campaign in Dar Saad. The Tenth Report records the continuation of this approach and its expansion in both geography and kind: Aden Belt Forces succeeded in seizing smuggled and counterfeit medicine shipments at the city’s checkpoints (not confined to a single directorate), indicating a shift from a specific security operation to a broader institutional pattern encompassing public-safety protection and pharmaceutical oversight. At the same time, this edition documented two serious security incidents in Dar Saad itself, reflecting that improvement in planned, targeted security performance did not necessarily come alongside improved discipline among field security personnel in day-to-day situations (queues, raids).

6. Peaceful Protests: From Three Events in One Directorate to Six Events in Four Directorates

The Ninth Report documented three consecutive peaceful protest events in Mansoura alone (civil disobedience, a solidarity sit-in, and a stand outside the Ministry of Electricity), and praised the fact that all ended without security incidents. The Tenth Report records an escalation and expansion of this pattern: at least six documented events, extending geographically to Sira (Crater), Sheikh Othman, and Mualla alongside Mansoura, with demands ranging across electricity, water, gas, and redress for those forcibly discharged from military service. The one constant between the two editions is the fully peaceful character of these events and the absence of security repression in dealing with them (with the exception of the temporary detention of a group of participants after they closed a public road in Crater, who were later released), reinforcing the Ninth Report’s observation that the space for peaceful expression, despite its expanding scope, remains relatively tolerated by the authorities.

Impact of Previous Reports (A “Radar Aden” Success Story)

From Field Monitoring to Institutional Response

Since its launch, “Radar Aden” platform has held to a core hypothesis: that continuous, publicly published field documentation creates cumulative pressure that pushes relevant authorities, whether local or central, toward a response — even if gradual and not officially acknowledged as a direct consequence of the reports. The second half of August 2026 offers a number of indicators that reinforce this hypothesis, though the platform treats them as “documented coincidence” rather than a formally confirmed causal relationship, since no explicit official statements are available linking any action to the report:

1. Dar Saad: From Documentation to Paving

Radar Aden reports have, across multiple previous editions, documented the neglect of Dar Saad directorate’s back street, which had gone without meaningful maintenance for 26 years according to residents themselves. During this specific period, the local authority actually began maintenance work on this street, coinciding with the opening of tender envelopes for investment-program projects to develop basic services and infrastructure in the same directorate. The timing of these two developments together, following a series of reports that had specifically spotlighted the directorate’s neglect, makes Dar Saad one of the clearest examples of repeated monitoring translating into tangible on-the-ground response.

2. Mualla: From Documenting Administrative Politicization to Institutional Reform

Previous reports had included references to the politicization of some administrative appointments in public-service institutions, among them the Mualla Workers’ Union, which was described as “nearly abandoned” under a director appointed by the now-dissolved Transitional Council. During this period, that director was removed and a new administration appointed, restoring the union to full normal activity. This change coincided with a broader wave of institutional reform across the entire directorate: the health complex reopened after months of closure and now operates 24 hours a day; a prosecution office opened near the local council after having been out of residents’ reach; and the public Telecom institution performed notably well. One volunteer described this shift by saying “the place returned to normal,” suggesting that repeated documentation of the state of dysfunction may have helped place this file on the administrative follow-up agenda.

3. Mansoura: From Monitoring Accumulation to a Comprehensive Cleaning Campaign and Construction Projects

As detailed above under follow-up on Ninth-Report issues, resolving Mansoura’s historic sewage crisis marked a turning point, followed in this period by an unprecedented wave of institutional investment in the directorate: a weekly cleaning campaign, main manhole maintenance, Corniche rehabilitation, paving of Thalatheen Street, a ban on trailer-truck parking, and the launch of an educational-affairs coordinating council. Six simultaneous institutional initiatives in a single directorate within two weeks make Mansoura this period’s most prominent case of “accelerated institutional response,” after having been among the directorates whose service decline Radar Aden reports had most documented in previous editions.

4. Food and Pharmaceutical Security: From Documenting the Black Market to Official Seizure Campaigns

Previous reports, including the Ninth, pointed to an active black market for gas and other goods, and to concerns over the absence of quality oversight for some products circulating in the informal market. During this period, Aden Belt Forces succeeded in seizing smuggled and counterfeit medicine shipments at the city’s checkpoints — a direct regulatory measure intersecting with earlier warnings the platform had documented regarding the absence of pharmaceutical oversight.

5. The Voice of Marginalized Groups: From Monitoring to Immediate Official Engagement

In a striking example of relatively rapid response, the gathering of those forcibly discharged from military and civilian service in front of the committee handling forced-discharge cases (26 August) saw the start of a legal committee to follow up the file with the presidency “peacefully,” immediately following the event, according to the documentation of the volunteer present at the site. This direct sequence between protest and immediate administrative response (forming a committee) is recorded as one of the clearest examples that public documentation of demands, alongside organized field presence, can open relatively fast channels of response compared with other files that have remained pending for years (such as the Sheikh Othman water file).

6. A Human Story as a Mirror of Community Impact

Alongside the institutional indicators, one volunteer in Mualla documented a spontaneous community-solidarity initiative: a number of activists and residents standing with an elderly woman selling tea and cakes on the street to support her. This incident is not linked to any official response, but it reflects a complementary dimension of the idea of “impact”: when the community itself is documented and its own initiatives highlighted, community solidarity is reinforced as a form of response running parallel to institutional response — something “Radar Aden” is keen to document with the same importance.

Summary of the Success Story

Of seven major issues followed by the Ninth Report, five recorded tangible movement (mostly positive) during the second half of August, while two issues (Sheikh Othman’s water, and judicial accountability in earlier incidents) showed no indication of response at all. This rate — close to 70% of tracked files — provides an initial quantitative basis for the platform’s “cumulative impact” hypothesis, without being read as conclusive proof of a direct causal relationship with any single report.

First: Basic Services and Public Institutions Sector

1. The Gas, Electricity, and Fuel Crisis

Twelve of the fourteen volunteers who took part in this period’s services assessment reported that household gas was “unavailable” in their areas, while volunteers in Dar Saad (Al-Lahoum), Mualla, and Buraiqa (Inma’a and Al-Hara) described it as “available with difficulty through the black market.” This is attributable to the closure of nine main filling stations announced by companies on 23 August due to the delayed arrival of gas trailers from Safer, which prompted some stations (such as Haim Gasco station) to post periodic updates via WhatsApp and Facebook informing citizens of arriving quantities and opening times, to avoid chaos in the queues. One such post monitored by volunteers read: “A quantity of 4 tons of gas has now arrived at the station… Approximately 200 vehicles are currently in the vehicle queue, in addition to more than 150 cylinders in the household-gas queue… the quantity may not be enough for everyone currently in the queue.”

In the face of this vacuum, notable community initiatives emerged: in the Al-Mashrou’ neighborhood of Sheikh Othman, a youth-led coordination effort succeeded in securing a quantity of gas from a distributor at 8,500 rials (well below the black-market price), by gathering residents at a known point (Super Al-Noor) at seven in the morning and distributing it in an organized manner that same evening. Activists in Mansoura also called on private car owners to transport the stranded and the elderly free of charge, to ease the impact of the transport crisis resulting from the gas shortage.

As for electricity, average supply hours ranged between zero and three hours in the morning and a similar range in the evening in most directorates, with a sharp disparity in outage hours: Kabuta (Mansoura) and Sheikh Othman recorded continuous evening outages of 8-10 hours, while Inma’a Al-Aqariya (Buraiqa) maintained a near-balanced rate (2-3 hours on versus only 2-3 hours off) during the daytime period. The continued delivery of petroleum derivatives to generation stations, funded by the Saudi Program for the Development and Reconstruction of Yemen, remains the primary factor preventing the service’s total collapse, according to what volunteers observed.

At Al-Ra’ees (Al-Hiswa) power station, one volunteer reported observing “a sharp deficit in generation rates, with a continuing threat of total shutdown due to disruptions in crude-oil supply” — a rumor that residents “fully” believe according to the public-mood form, reflecting the level of general anxiety over the possibility of a total blackout.

2. Deteriorating Water and Sewage Services

Water conditions varied sharply among the eight directorates: while volunteers in Dar Saad and Buraiqa (with the exception of Salah Al-Din) reported “continuous pumping,” volunteers in Tawahi, Sheikh Othman, Mansoura, and Khormaksar described conditions as “cut off” or “coming very weak.” Most notably, the Abdullah Ghanem neighborhood in Sheikh Othman “has been cut off for years, rarely comes, and when it does come it is weak and smells foul,” and the Al-Kathiri neighborhood in Mansoura is “cut off for years, coming only a few days a month, with residents having resorted to buying water (tanker deliveries) instead.”

By contrast, no interruption at all was recorded in Bir Ahmed’s water supply in Buraiqa — reflecting a disparity in the distribution network between neighborhoods that warrants review by the Local Water Corporation to understand the reasons for this sharp geographic disparity within the same city.

The Sira directorate saw several protest stands outside the General Water Corporation demanding water reach several neighborhoods in the directorate.

3. Infrastructure and Public-Safety Hazards

Recurring observations included exposed and dangling electrical wires, deep unfenced pits, sewage overflow covering roads, and accumulated garbage, in a number of neighborhoods, most notably Sheikh Othman and Kabuta and Shamil in Mansoura. In Sheikh Othman specifically, one volunteer reported observing the establishment of new, unlicensed auto-gas filling stations inside populated residential blocks and near schools and shops, which sparked “widespread outrage” among residents and prompted a protest stand.

By contrast, Mansoura saw a tangible move to address these risks through the weekly cleaning campaign and main manhole maintenance, even as sewage overflow continued in some neighborhoods despite the maintenance work, according to one volunteer’s testimony.

4. State of Public Institutions: Successful Models and Remaining Challenges

Public-institution performance varied clearly among directorates. On one hand, schools operated normally in most monitored areas (Buraiqa, Khormaksar, Mansoura, Dar Saad), amid preparations to receive the new school year. Mualla’s institutions (the union, the health complex, the prosecution office, Telecom) also stood out as a model of tangible improvement following administrative changes, while one volunteer described the Governor’s office building itself as “working until late at night,” without this translating into a tangible improvement in services — rather, “suffering only increased.”

On the other hand, the Kod Al-Othmani health complex in Sheikh Othman continues to suffer, “as in previous reports,” from a shortage of medical staff, medicine, and supplies, while Al-Qahira post office in Mansoura continued to operate only partially.

Table: Detailed Indicators by Directorate

The table below is based on volunteers’ direct observations in the neighborhoods they visited, not a comprehensive survey of every directorate.

Directorate	Electricity (on/off — approx.)	Water	Household Gas	Key Observation
Tawahi	2-3 on / 3-7 off	Cut off or very weak	Unavailable	Severe transport crisis and a sharp rise in black-market cylinder prices
Mansoura	0-3 on / 4-12 off	Cut off or weak (except partial improvements)	Mostly unavailable	Broad cleaning campaign, Corniche and Thalatheen St. rehabilitation, education coordinating council
Dar Saad	0-3 on / 3-8 off	Continuous pumping	Unavailable to available with difficulty	Street maintenance after 26 years, improved garbage collection, but two serious security incidents
Khormaksar	2-3 on / 6-8 off	Cut off (about 3 days)	Unavailable	General security stability and cultural activity (medical seminar, poster exhibition)
Buraiqa	2-3 on / 2-10 off (wide variance)	Continuous pumping in most areas	Available with difficulty / unavailable	Inma’a Al-Aqariya has the best electricity supply recorded; Buraiqa main street maintenance
Sheikh Othman	0-3 on / 5-9 off	Cut off for years in Abdullah Ghanem	Unavailable	Community-organized fair gas distribution; security concerns over raids and an unsafe auto-gas station
Mualla	2-3 on / 4-5 off	Weak in elevated areas (about every 5 days); cut off in lower areas (about 3 days)	Available with difficulty	Notable institutional recovery: the union, health complex, prosecution office, Telecom
Sira (Crater)	2-3 on / 6-8 off	About 3 times weekly, ranging from near-none to reaching elevated areas	Available with difficulty	Recurring protests over power cuts (“Al-Farshan Revolt”); multiple cultural events

Second: Security and Political Dynamics

1. The Killing of a Citizen in Dar Saad at the Hands of National Security Forces

Radar Aden volunteers documented an extremely serious incident in Dar Saad directorate, in which a citizen who worked at a shop went to the shop owner to peacefully demand his overdue wages. The shop owner called National Security forces (formerly the Security Belt), who arrived and opened fire on the citizen, leaving him bleeding until some citizens rushed him to hospital, where he later died (Radar Aden platform withholds publication of the images documenting the incident). When Radar Aden contacted Security Director Mutahar Al-Shuaibi for comment, he stated verbatim: “The case is with National Security… follow up with that sector there… the case has not reached Aden Security” — indicating a clear conflict over which body is responsible for the investigation.

According to volunteer documentation, this incident calls for an urgent, independent investigation and accountability for those involved, as it constitutes a grave violation of the right of an unarmed citizen who was peacefully demanding his financial due.

2. An Armed Clash and Extortion Allegations at a Dar Saad Gas Station

After a week-long shortage, the Datco Gas Company station (Al-Ma’mour station) received quantities of gas that formed a large queue extending to the gate of Al-Sadaqa Hospital (roughly 2 kilometers away). According to the testimony of a volunteer present at the site, personnel affiliated with Dar Saad police were letting vehicles in ahead of the queue in exchange for unofficial payments of between 5,000 and 10,000 rials. When a member of the Giants Forces objected to this behavior, the verbal dispute escalated into an exchange of gunfire that wounded two people, including an elderly man shot in the back.

The incident was followed by a raid on the home of one of the parties to the clash by a number of security units (estimated by the witness at seven units, including an armored personnel carrier and an armored vehicle), which, according to the testimony, involved forced entry against family members who were not party to the incident, including a pregnant woman the witness said suffered a miscarriage from the fear and shock during the raid. This incident, together with the first, calls for an independent investigation into the conduct of security personnel at gas-distribution points, and into the allegations of excesses during the raid.

3. Another Security Raid in Dar Saad to Apprehend a Wanted Individual

In a separate incident in the Al-Lahoum neighborhood of Dar Saad, a security force went to a home aiming to apprehend a judicially wanted individual. The security account stated that the wanted individual opened fire while officers attempted to apprehend him, wounding one person, before he managed to flee across rooftops. The incident sparked widespread circulation on social media with conflicting accounts, while security authorities clarified that the operation aimed to apprehend a wanted individual and that they would verify any allegations of excesses.

4. A Rising Wave of Peaceful Protests

Volunteers recorded a number of peaceful protest events in different directorates during the period, most demanding improved basic services and redress for marginalized groups. All accounts agree that these events ended without security repression or injuries:

Date	Directorate	Event	Demand	Outcome
16 August	Sira (Crater)	“Al-Farshan Revolt” — evening road closures	Improved electricity service after an 8-hour outage	Security intervention and temporary detention of one participant, later released
20 August	Mualla	Protest stand outside the Yemen Oil Company	Improved gas and electricity service	Ended peacefully with no altercation or security intervention
Late August	Sira (Crater)	Protest and road closures at Al-Aqaba roundabout and the city market	Addressing power cuts (8 hours off versus two on)	Community figures intervened to calm protesters; no arrests or injuries
26 August	Sira (Crater)	Gathering outside the committee handling forced-discharge cases	Redress for Aden residents excluded from financial-settlement lists	Ended peacefully with the start of a legal committee to follow up the file
27 August	Sira (Crater)	Protest stand outside the General Water Corporation	Addressing deteriorating water service	Ended peacefully without repression
Late August	Sheikh Othman (Al-Mamdara)	Sit-in outside the “Al-Jazeera Auto Gas” station	Closing an unsafe gas station amid a residential area and moving it away from schools	A protest statement handed to the local authority with a deadline before escalation

It is notable that all of these events centered on purely service-related demands (electricity, gas, water, financial redress), and did not carry a sharp factional or political character — reflecting a degree of relative maturity in managing protest on the part of both protesters and authorities.

5. Scattered Political and Symbolic Developments

• An education controversy: the Minister of Education’s decision to strip an outstanding student in Al-Mahra governorate of her first-place ranking without clear legal justification sparked a wave of widespread public anger on social media, with calls to review the decision.
• In Mualla, images of leader Aidarous al-Zubaidi were observed removed from a street, an indicator of a limited local symbolic shift.
• In some Aden schools, following instructions from Governor of Aden Abdulrahman Sheikh, the official anthem of the Republic of Yemen was sung for the first time in many years, while other schools insisted on the Southern Transitional Council’s anthem, amid campaigns by Transitional Council activists against the Mansoura directorate manager over this file.
• The Mansoura directorate manager visited the directorate’s police stations to check on operations, an indicator of administrative field activity.

6. Public Mood and Circulating Rumors

The tone of public mood differed clearly from one directorate to another. In Tawahi and Mansoura, a feeling of despair and a desire to migrate predominated, with repeated expressions of a wish to leave Aden “in search of a better life.” Among the phrases circulating that volunteers recorded:

“Aden has become a graveyard for its own people”

“Aden is dying slowly”

“No electricity to sleep under, no gas to cook with, no bus to take us home… give our regards to the state!”

By contrast, volunteers in Dar Saad and Buraiqa described the atmosphere as relatively “reassuring,” with clear welcome for the new maintenance and cleaning work. And in Kabuta, Mansoura, one volunteer documented a mix of welcome for the service campaigns and frustration over the continuation of the crises at the same time — reflecting a public mood that is more complex than uniformly negative.

Rumor	Level of Belief	Note
Arrival of Saudi generators to support the grid	High belief	A positive-toned rumor reflecting popular hope for a near-term solution
Total expected shutdown of “Al-Ra’ees” power station and complete halt of generation	Full belief	Fed by official warnings about crude-oil shipments running out
Sale of quantities of Safer gas to the black market and the Horn of Africa on behalf of influential figures	Divided	Linked to the discrepancy between empty official stations and gas availability on the black market
Permanent exclusion of Aden residents from settlements for forcibly discharged military personnel	Full belief	Spread following the release of the latest financial-settlement lists
That Aidarous al-Zubaidi did not die but fled to Russia	High belief in some neighborhoods	An unconfirmed rumor reflecting a state of political uncertainty
Imminent outbreak of war / Houthi entry into Aden	Medium to high in some neighborhoods	Linked to general security fears more than specific field data
The gas crisis will continue for months to come	High belief	Prompted some residents to stockpile household provisions as a precaution

Third: Market Activity and Food/Livelihood Security Indicators

Most volunteers described commercial activity in their markets as “cautious” (between 50% and 75% of normal activity), with shops open but experiencing relatively light traffic, with the exception of markets in Buraiqa (Salah Al-Din and Bir Ahmed) and Mansoura (Al-Kathiri), which were described as “100% normal.” Transport and mobility were described in most directorates as “difficult and limited” as a direct result of the gas crisis, reaching “completely cut off” in some Tawahi neighborhoods, while remaining normal in Dar Saad (Al-Houm).

Field-Monitored Price Indicators (in Yemeni Rials)

The figures below are field observations, not standardized in methodology, collected by volunteers at various points of sale during August, and should be read as indicative signals of price direction rather than a comprehensive official market survey.

Item / Food Material	Average Price or Range (in YER)	Notes and Field Indicators
Chicken (kg/unit)	Roughly 1,000 to 8,000 rials depending on area	Notable decline in Sheikh Othman after the “recent drop”; stable elsewhere
Qat (bundle)	5,000 to about 40,000 rials (sharp variance)	Decline in Sheikh Othman; sharp rise in Mualla
Cooking oil (5 liters)	About 9,500 to 20,500 rials	Nearly stable for most volunteers
Flour (50 kg)	38,500 to 40,000 rials	Notable rise in most directorates
Rice (kg)	1,500 to 3,000 rials	Varies between directorates
Sugar (kg)	1,000 to 2,000 rials	Relatively stable
Bread (single loaf)	100 to 200 rials	Stable in most areas
Household gas cylinder	14,000 to 36,000 rials	The period’s most notable increase, and the leading economic concern
Domestic gas cylinder	Up to 30,000 (against an official price of 7,500)	Unprecedented supply crisis, the worst in more than 10 years

The rise in the black-market price of gas cylinders remains the factor with the greatest impact on household budgets during this period, as it directly affects transport costs (auto-gas filling) and the closure of some popular restaurants unable to secure cooking fuel, along with the return of firewood sales as a forced alternative for some poor families.

Positive Notes on the Margins of the Economic Picture

• Fully normal commercial activity continued in a number of Buraiqa and Mansoura markets despite the difficult general conditions.
• A tangible decline in chicken and qat prices in Sheikh Othman, easing pressure slightly on some households.
• Relative stability in basic-goods prices (rice, sugar, bread) in most monitored directorates, despite turmoil in the energy market.

Detailed Indicators by District

Based on the field indicators monitored, the table below shows the status of each directorate across three axes (services and infrastructure; safety and the urban environment; and public mood and the security situation), with an overall status rating (🔴 Critical / ⚠️ Concerning / 🟢 Relatively stable):

District	Services and Infrastructure	Safety and Urban Environment	General Mood and Security
Sheikh Othman (critical)	🔴 Critical: Water almost nonexistent for years in the Abdullah Ghanem neighborhood (foul smell on the rare occasions it comes); electricity almost nonexistent (0-1 hour on, 6-9 hours off); staff and medicine shortages at the Kod Al-Othmani health complex “as in previous reports”; positive: Al-Mashrou’ neighborhood youth organized a community gas distribution at 8,000 rials after community coordination	🔴 Critical: Recurring raids and arrests by security forces deployed to the neighborhood; the burning of journalist Fatima Rashad’s home; two groups caught stealing gold jewelry from homes in Al-Basateen and Al-Mamdara; a sit-in by Al-Mamdara residents outside the unsafe “Al-Jazeera Auto Gas” station amid homes and schools	⚠️ Concerning: Anxiety and tension over the raids; talk of reverse migration; rumors of war, gas disappearing entirely, and the Houthis entering Aden; on the other hand, a clear expression of support for the government and readiness to defend Aden
Tawahi (In service and morale crisis)	🔴 Critical: Household gas completely unavailable and a severe fuel crisis with dozens-long queues; water very weak or completely cut off for up to 5 consecutive days; fluctuating electricity (outages reaching 6-7 hours in the evening)	🟡 Concerning: Exposed electrical wires, garbage buildup, road obstructions (damaged cars and old concrete barriers); individual exploitation: reselling surplus gas cylinders at double the price, up to 36,000 rials	🔴 Critical: Widespread despair and frustration, and explicit talk of reverse migration in both survey rounds; recurring phrases “Aden has become a graveyard for its own people” and “Aden is dying slowly”; a rumor of upcoming protests early next month prompted some to stockpile provisions
Dar Saad (Severe security crisis despite service improvement)	🟢 Relatively stable: Continuous water pumping; effective new daily cleaning campaign; back-street maintenance for the first time in 26 years; Abdah Fadel School preparing for the school year with cleaning campaigns; tender envelopes opened for basic-service development projects	🔴 Critical: An unarmed citizen killed by National Security forces while peacefully demanding his overdue wages (Al-Karaa roundabout); an armed clash at the Datco gas station after an attempted financial-extortion scheme targeting vehicles in the queue, wounding two, followed by a raid on a home by seven security units and an alleged miscarriage caused by fear; a separate security raid in Al-Houm to apprehend a wanted individual ended in gunfire and an escape across rooftops	⚠️ Concerning: Mixed by neighborhood: unruly and anxious in Al-Wafa neighborhood following the raids, versus reassured and welcoming toward the local authority in Al-Houm; declared readiness to defend Aden against any Houthi expansion
Mualla (Concerning, with institutional gains)	🟡 Concerning: Better electricity relatively (2-3 on / 4-5 off) but very weak water arriving only about every 5 days; gas available only with difficulty through the black market; 🟢 stable: the Workers’ Union returned to normal operations after an administrative change, the health complex fully reopened (24 hours, multiple clinics) after months of closure, and a prosecution office opened near the local council after having been out of reach	🟢 Relatively stable: No major visible security risks; images of leader Aidarous al-Zubaidi removed from a street without friction; a peaceful protest stand outside the Yemen Oil Company (300-500 people) on 20 August; the “Al-Farshan Revolt” protest on 16 August led to temporary arrests, released after a day	🟡 Concerning: Anxiety and frustration with the local authority despite the Governor’s office being open until late at night; recurring complaints that “staff have multiplied but the service hasn’t improved”; rumors of al-Zubaidi’s death/return and of electricity improving with Saudi support
Mansoura (Partial stability and service achievement)	🟢 Stable: Daily cleaning campaign begun 23 August, manhole maintenance on 90th Street and in Kabuta, and the start of Governor’s Corniche rehabilitation and Thalatheen St. paving; 🟡 concerning: comprehensive closure announced by 9 main gas stations on 23 August as trailers from Safer stopped arriving; water almost nonexistent (Al-Kathiri neighborhood cut off for years and relying on tanker deliveries); electricity outages reaching 11-12 hours in the evening	🟡 Concerning: Deep pits and sewage overflow in Shamil and Al-Kathiri; a stray-dog outbreak in Kabuta with recorded bite cases; a traffic accident on Thalatheen Street on 16 August	🟢 Stable: Widespread despair and pessimism (“things here are going from bad to worse”), and talk of reverse migration; but clear welcome for the cleaning and rehabilitation campaigns; controversy over directorate manager Hani Al-Yazidi, caught between accusations from now-dissolved Transitional Council activists and educational initiatives he launched
Khor Maksar (General stability)	🟢 Stable: Abdulbari secondary school operating normally; electricity 2-3 on / 7-8 off; water cut off 3 days versus 10 hours of pumping; no notable change from the previous report	🟢 Stable: No visible risks, no obstructions, and no recorded checkpoints	🟡 Concerning: A sad human incident documented by volunteer notes: the suicide of a young man who worked in day-wage passenger-luggage transport at Aden airport
Buraiqa (Sharply mixed between neighborhoods)	🟢 Stable: A clear split between neighborhoods: Inma’a Al-Aqariya has the best service (near-continuous electricity, constant water pumping); Bir Ahmed has continuous water pumping without interruption; Salah Al-Din is the weakest (5-6 hours of evening outages, water cut off 4-5 days, and a severe fuel crisis); maintenance of the main Buraiqa street and shopfront paving in Inma’a	🟡 Concerning: Exposed wires, pits, and sewage overflow in Bir Ahmed; near-daily military convoys from Camp 30; an event marking the anniversary of the Southern Army’s founding (1 September) called for by the now-dissolved Transitional Council raised concerns of possible unrest	🟢 Stable (in Salah Al-Din and Inma’a): Reassured, with 100% normal market activity; ⚠️ concerning (in Bir Ahmed): tense, talk of reverse migration, clear reservations about the Transitional Council’s return “especially after the Hadramawt events”; rumors of imminent war and a worsening fuel crisis; positive: a fundraising campaign for the Great Bir Ahmed Mosque to install a solar-energy system worth 35 million rials
Sira / Crater (Recurring peaceful protest activity)	🟡 Concerning: Recurring protests reveal an acute electricity crisis (outages reaching 8 hours versus only two hours on) and deteriorating water service	🟡 Concerning: A threat to detonate a hand grenade inside Al-Noor Mosque in the Al-Khassaf neighborhood during a religious gathering; the young man was subdued by worshippers and local security personnel with no injuries; 🟢 stable: several safe and successful cultural events (a film-poster exhibition, the “A Little Farther Than War” virtual-reality art exhibition, a five-day back-to-school festival at Aden Mall)	🟡 Concerning: Recurring “Al-Farshan Revolt” protests (16 and late August, 250-400 participants) over power cuts; a large gathering (300-500 people, 26 August) demanding redress for Aden residents excluded from financial-settlement lists ended with the formation of a legal committee; a stand outside the Water Corporation (500 people, 27 August); all ended peacefully without repression or arrests

This table complements the quantitative indicator table above (electricity, water, gas) with a comprehensive qualitative reading of each directorate across the axes of services, urban safety, and public mood, and reflects a clear divide between “critical” directorates (Sheikh Othman), directorates that are “relatively stable” despite partial challenges (Dar Saad, Sira, Tawahi), and directorates combining a notable service achievement with ongoing challenges (Mansoura, Mualla).

Urgent Recommendations for Relevant Authorities (Response Roadmap)

Based on the field and social indicators recorded by “Radar Aden” platform volunteers in the first half of August, we present the following package of immediate interventions to decision-makers through parallel response tracks:

1. To the Public Prosecution and Judiciary

• Open an urgent, independent investigation into the killing of the citizen in Dar Saad at the hands of National Security forces, and publicly hold those involved accountable.
• Investigate the allegations of excesses accompanying the home raid in Dar Saad following the armed clash at the gas station, including the alleged miscarriage resulting from fear and intimidation.
• Follow up on the results of the official investigation into the shooting during the attempt to apprehend a wanted individual in Al-Lahoum neighborhood before drawing any conclusions.

2. To the Ministry of Interior and the Leadership of Aden Security and National Security

• Apply the established codes of conduct and sanctions against undisciplined personnel.
• Urgently review the conduct of security personnel at gas-distribution points and prevent any financial extortion of citizens in queues.
• Close or relocate unlicensed auto-gas filling stations set up inside residential neighborhoods, in response to the demands of Al-Mamdara residents in Sheikh Othman.
• Extend the experience of seizing smuggled and counterfeit medicine shipments carried out by Aden Belt Forces to the rest of the city’s checkpoints.

3. To the Ministry of Electricity and the Public Electricity Corporation

• Study replicating the fair community-distribution model implemented by Sheikh Othman youth as a temporary, officially supported solution until the bottleneck in the supply chain is resolved.
• Address the generation deficit at Al-Ra’ees (Al-Hiswa) station and ensure stable crude-oil supply to it, to avoid its complete shutdown.

4. To the Local Water Corporation

• Give urgent priority to the Abdullah Ghanem neighborhood in Sheikh Othman and the Al-Kathiri neighborhood in Mansoura, the most affected by years-long water interruption.
• Study the reasons for stable pumping in Dar Saad and Buraiqa and extend the lessons learned to other directorates.

5. To Aden Governorate and the Local Authority

• Extend the road-maintenance and cleaning experience applied in Dar Saad and Mansoura (daily garbage collection, manhole maintenance) to the remaining directorates.
• Follow up on completing the Governor’s Corniche rehabilitation and Thalatheen Street paving projects in Mansoura through to full completion.
• Provide additional waste containers in neighborhoods still experiencing buildup despite cleaning campaigns.
• Support and expand the institutional-rehabilitation experience in Mualla (the union, the health complex, the prosecution office) as a model for local administrative reform.
• Ensure transparency in announcing gas quantities arriving at stations and their distribution schedules, following the lead of initiatives some private stations have begun.

6. To the Ministry of Education

• Conduct a transparent review of the decision stripping the outstanding student in Al-Mahra of her first-place ranking, and clarify its legal basis or reverse it.
• Support schools’ preparations, particularly in Dar Saad and Mansoura, to receive the new school year with adequate resources.

7. To the Ministry of Health and the Aden Health Office

• Address the chronic shortage of medical staff and medicine at the Kod Al-Othmani health complex in Sheikh Othman.
• Study replicating the Mualla health-complex model (round-the-clock operation and multiple clinics) at other health facilities experiencing similar difficulties.