For weeks, potable water shortages have been ailing thousands of Yemenis living in neighborhoods in the Houthi-run capital, Sanaa, local sources reported.
Adding to the suffering of locals, Houthis decided to stage a campaign for raising funds in three different cities as an initial stage. Houthi collectors demand Yemenis pay water bills that cost as much as 300,000 Yemeni rials ($500) per household.
Damage from water cuts was amplified by a staggering 60% rise in the prices of water tanks transported to homes, said sources.
Even though international aid and organizations fund the operation of the water distribution institutions and stations in Houthi-controlled areas, the Iran-backed militia insists on creating a water crisis to squeeze more finances out of Yemenis already struggling to meet their daily needs.
Houthis are using money they collect from Yemenis to fund their war effort and military operations across the country.
Sources accused the group of practicing collective punishment against the residents of Sanaa and the rest of the cities under its control by preventing the flow of drinking water through government water projects.
More so, they tied the group generating the water crisis to them launching a new scheme for collecting levies.
Residents in Sanaa neighborhoods like Shimlan, Madbah, al-Sniynah, and Asr have complained to Asharq Al-Awsat that the main water supply has been cut off their homes for over two weeks.
“Houthi officials did not disclose the reasons behind the days-long interruption in water provision,” some residents revealed.
To their surprise, locals were stunned by Houthis claiming a few days ago that the reason behind the shortage was due to international organizations cutting off their funding of the Houthi-run water institution.
Residents have said that their lives were seriously threatened by the shortage of potable water, especially that alternatives for securing it are increasing drastically in rates.
When cut off from the main supply of drinkable tap water, Yemenis resort to filling and transporting their supply via tankers.
