Poverty on one front in Yemen, 'Struggle for livelihood' deepens

While conflicts intensify between government forces and Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen, the poorest country in the MIDDLE EAST, millions of Yemenis are struggling to survive under increasingly severe economic conditions. In the country, which is surrounded by oil-rich countries, but where the civil war that broke out in 2015 greatly collapsed the economy, irregular payment of salaries and increases in basic needs products make the people poorer day by day. According to the World Bank, gross domestic product per capita in the country has fallen by approximately 58 percent since 2015.

Aden, which has been the temporary capital of Yemen for 11 years, is one of the cities where the economic crisis is felt most severely. While the average monthly food expenditure of a family in the city is 83 dollars, it is stated that this amount does not include rent, transportation and health expenses. Speaking to Al Jazeera, public worker Büşra Abdullah Abdülvaris, who earns only $50 a month, states that many families have reduced their meat consumption due to increasing prices. In Marib, where hundreds of thousands of displaced people have taken shelter, some families have to choose between buying water and milk. A civil servant named Selah al-Zuhaifi stated that inflation has greatly reduced the purchasing power of her salary and said, "No matter how much we earn, it is not enough to meet our needs."

The people in the Houthi-controlled capital, Sanaa, and in the northwest of the country face similar problems. Although the Yemeni Rial loses less value against foreign currency compared to the government-controlled areas due to the tight monetary policy implemented by the Houthis, this is not reflected in the purchasing power of the people. In some regions, civil servants have not received regular salaries for years, while some civil servants are only paid "half salary". Many families living under Houthi control are forced to receive financial support from their relatives to meet their basic needs.

GOVERNMENT forces and Houthis continue mutual attacks. While the Houthi media stated that the capital Sanaa was targeted with air strikes, it was announced that captain pilot Hamud Ali Alkalthami lost his life in the attack on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia, the day before. Yemen Deputy Minister of Defense Major General Samir al-Sabri said that the ultimate goal of the Yemeni forces is to regain control over the entire country, including the capital Sanaa.

The TURKISH Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement condemning the attacks on airports in Saudi Arabia. The statement said, "We condemn in the strongest terms the targeting of airports in Saudi Arabia by the Houthis. These attacks, which cause further escalation of tension in the region, must be stopped immediately. We emphasize once again that we are in full solidarity with Saudi Arabia and call for diplomacy." Meanwhile, Minister Fidan met with the Hamas delegation in Ankara. The meeting focused on ceasefire negotiations and steps to improve the humanitarian situation in Gaza.