Yemen imports cooking gas as local supply is cut

Date: 20 Mar 2011

Ali Saeed

SANA'A, March 20- The Yemeni government said on Sunday that a ship carrying around 6,400 tons of cooking gas is on its way to Yemen's shores.

This shipment will ease the acute shortage of gas in the country caused by the suspension of the local supply from Marib due to the ongoing unrest in the country, Mohamed Al-Bawsani, director of the technical department at the Yemen Gas Company, a state-owned company responsible for the marketing and supply of cooking gas.

The Safer cooking gas plant in Marib and Aden oil refineries fill Yemen's domestic supply of cooking gas. According to the director, whenever there is a crisis, Yemen resorts to imports.

"Trucks supplying gas cylinders from Safer to Sana'a and from Sana'a to other cities were suspended from bringing gas due to the unrest in the country," he said.

Al-Bawsani explained that the company has stores of cooking gas cylinders stockpiled in the capital Sana'a and other Yemeni cities to face similar shortages. At the moment the company, distributes the gas itself directly to citizens in its shops around various cities.

He highlighted that the company is looking for an alternative supply to use until the nationwide uprising is over.

Mohamed Hassan, a citizen in Sana'a city told the Yemen Times that he has been looking for gas for a week and could not find any. He claims that gas shops in Sana'a are running out of gas cylinders.

"I went to several gas shops in my area, but there was nothing," Hassan said.

Abdo Al-Hubaishi, a gas shop owner in Sana'a said that his shop has been short of gas for more than a week. He is now waiting for the gas company to provide him with supplies so his customers can obtain gas in his neighborhood.

Um Khaleel, a housewife in Hodeida told the Yemen Times that she has been looking for gas for two weeks ago and could not find any.

"The gas suppliers here distribute only to a few people and many citizens are left without gas for their homes," she said.

Al-Bawsani said that this shortage has caused a panic among citizens and has resulted in an increase in demand for gas nationwide.

"Some people want to buy more than they need. We have seen some people who usually buy two cylinders and now want to buy seven," he said.

Source: Yemen Times (YCPMI)