Fuel costs rise 10 percent in Houthi-controlled Yemen

Petrol prices in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen, including Sanaa, rose by about 10 percent earlier this week, increasing the cost of a 10-litre fill from 4,750 Yemeni riyals to 5,250 riyals. The Yemen Petroleum Company said the increase was temporary and resulted from a global rise in fuel prices.

The change is adding pressure to families already coping with higher food and transport costs. Ahmed Yahya, a Sanaa taxi driver and father of three, said his monthly food spending could rise from 75,000 Yemeni riyals to at least 85,000 Yemeni riyals.

Why prices are spreading beyond petrol stations

Shopkeeper Saleh Abdullah said journeys carrying goods between Yemen’s south and north can now take up to a week, compared with three days or less before fighting resumed. Truckers are avoiding roads near front lines, and higher transport costs are being passed to consumers. Read the context: Rising fuel costs bring Yemen construction projects to a halt.

Economic researcher Wafiq Saleh said petroleum products are inputs for many goods and services. He identified agriculture, transport and services as especially exposed, while diesel-powered generators used for water and electricity can also raise the cost of basic services.

Ibrahim Abdu, an employee at the Nehm customs checkpoint in Sanaa governorate, said fewer trucks had arrived in the capital in recent weeks because fighting had cut off roads and merchants were avoiding risks to their goods and drivers.

A heavier burden on households and businesses

Yahya said the increase could force difficult choices between food and rent. He pays 25,000 Yemeni riyals a month in rent and said rising food costs have made it harder to set money aside for housing.

The International Monetary Fund said Yemen’s internal conflict has created major economic vulnerabilities and reduced income per person. Its April report said more than half the population urgently needs humanitarian assistance and linked the conflict to food insecurity, disease outbreaks, displacement and limited access to clean water.

The UN Refugee Agency warned that renewed violence could trigger a humanitarian crisis by displacing more people and placing additional pressure on communities with limited resources.