Hundreds of Yemenis continued, today, Sunday, in the governorates of Taiz (southwest) and Abyan (south), to protest against the deteriorating living conditions and the collapse of the value of the local currency, while the universities of Aden in the south and Hadramawt in the east witnessed an open strike of professors.

The demonstrators denounced the coalition's position, which they described as inaction in halting the collapse of the local currency exchange rate, limiting price hikes, and irregularity in the payment of salaries.

The demonstrators also accused the coalition of practicing what they called a policy of deliberate starvation of the Yemeni people, and of working to undermine the pillars of the economy in the country, as they put it.

They raised slogans written on flour bags, in reference to the insane and unprecedented rise in food prices, such as "No to starvation of the people, No to corruption, Yes to security and safety."

The protests in Taiz and Abyan coincide with the continuing strike of merchants in the city of Taiz and the strike of exchange shop owners in the governorates of Aden, Abyan and Lahj (south), for the second day in a row, in protest against the collapse of the local currency.

open strike

For their part, the universities of Aden and Hadhramaut witnessed a comprehensive and open strike until the demands of their faculty members were met, to raise salaries, secure health insurance, and open the door to employment for contractors.

Statements issued by the faculty unions in the two universities said that they announced the comprehensive and open strike after it was not possible to reach solutions to their demands with the government and the competent authorities.

Observers believe that the rest of Yemen's government universities will decide to strike successively, before schools join them, as a result of the high prices and the collapse of the humanitarian situation caused by the deterioration of the currency.

In Aden, too, the bread crisis deepened the suffering of the population.

On Friday evening, the Association of Bakeries and Ovens announced that the price of bread had been raised by 50% due to the increase in flour prices.

Since the start of the war in Yemen 7 years ago, the country has witnessed an economic decline due to which the national currency has lost many times its value against foreign currencies, in a country that imports about 90% of its needs.

At the start of the war, the price of one dollar was equal to 215 Yemeni riyals, but now, the price of the dollar has reached about 1,700 riyals, and with it the value of the minimum wage has fallen from $150 to only $18.

previous demonstrations

Last year, in early December, popular demonstrations took place in several Yemeni cities calling for an improvement in the living situation.

In March of this year, angry protests widened in the city of Aden due to the deterioration of basic services, especially electricity and drinking water.

In late August, thousands of people demonstrated in the city of Taiz, denouncing the deterioration of the local currency and the accompanying rise in prices.

In mid-September, the cities of Aden, Mukalla, Taiz and other cities witnessed a wave of angry protests due to the deterioration of the national currency, which forced the President of the UAE-backed Transitional Council to declare a state of emergency after the deaths and injuries of security bullets.