For the third consecutive day, hundreds of protesters in Mukalla, the capital of Yemen’s oil-rich Hadramout province, escalated demonstrations against daily electricity blackouts exceeding 19 hours, driven by scorching heat and fuel shortages. Residents, frustrated by the collapse of basic services, set up tents, blocked major roads, burned tires, and besieged the Public Corporation of Electricity building, as reported by eyewitness Salem bin Mubarak and security official Ahmed al-Dahdouh. Protesters also sealed Mukalla’s port entrance and the international highway to Oman, halting traffic and trade.

The crisis, attributed to diesel and petroleum shortages, stems from disrupted fuel transport routes, reduced deliveries by supplier PetroMasila, and systemic corruption, according to a July 29 SARI Global report. The Hadramout Coast Electricity Corporation warned of complete blackouts due to fuel scarcity, with power plants shutting down since July 27. Hadramout, despite its oil wealth, faces chronic service failures, exacerbated by Yemen’s decade-long civil war, which began in 2014 when Houthi rebels seized Sanaa, forcing the internationally recognized government (IRG) to Aden. The UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council (STC), controlling much of the south, has failed to address infrastructure decay, with only 10% of Yemen’s population connected to the public grid.

The Hadramout Tribes Confederacy blamed internal corruption and budget deficits for the crisis, noting additional water insecurity worsened by a 40% expected rainfall decline, per the Norwegian Refugee Council. Protesters demanded the dismissal of Governor Mabkhout bin Madi, accused of mismanaging resources from Riyadh since April 2025. On July 28, Yemeni journalist Abduljabar Bajabeer was arrested during the protests, prompting the Committee to Protect Journalists to demand his release, citing a “systematic campaign” to silence media in IRG areas.

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The protests reflect broader discontent in southern Yemen, where Aden faced similar unrest in February 2025 over 30-hour blackouts. The IRG’s inability to fund fuel imports, worsened by Houthi attacks on oil ports and a plummeting rial, has crippled services, with 80% of Yemenis needing humanitarian aid.

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