ADEN, Yemen — In Aden, where sweltering summers are compounded by frequent electricity failures, power outages disrupt daily life for residents and pose an existential threat to medical facilities where treatment cannot be delayed. The humanitarian crisis is rooted in a power infrastructure that predates the current conflict; even before 2015, only approximately 55 percent of Yemenis had access to electricity, a figure among the lowest in the Middle East and North Africa.
Since the onset of war, damage to infrastructure, chronic fuel shortages, and aging distribution systems have further destabilized power supplies. According to an International Monetary Fund assessment published this year, Aden receives merely two to six hours of electricity daily. Compounding the issue, insurance premiums on tankers carrying fuel to the port city have reportedly increased, exacerbating the shortage.
For the general population, the blackout cycle reshapes routines. As temperatures in Aden climb toward 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit), residents describe homes becoming unbearable. Many seek refuge at the coast, while children take their play to the streets. “Our lives have become tied to when electricity comes and goes,” one resident told Al Jazeera, noting that outages spoil food and disrupt sleep.
The impact extends to education. The United Nations Development Programme documented over 7,000 students and teachers enduring stifling conditions in dark classrooms during power cuts. While solar installations at eight schools and an education office have provided some relief, reports indicate students have fainted due to heat. Exam preparation at home often hinges on access to rechargeable lamps or small solar systems.
Hospitals face the most dire consequences. Critical equipment, including incubators, dialysis machines, laboratory devices, and medical refrigerators, requires uninterrupted power. The World Health Organization (WHO) states that recurring blackouts disrupt lifesaving services nationwide, forcing facilities to depend on a fragile mix of grid power, generators, and solar energy.
In 2025, the WHO supplied roughly 4.33 million liters (1.14 million gallons) of fuel to 177 health facilities across Yemen to keep essential operations running. Zeina Ahmed, a kidney patient undergoing dialysis in Aden, highlighted the anxiety patients face. “For us here, the first thing we think about is whether we will be able to have our dialysis or not,” she said. “If it is delayed, I keep thinking about when I will get it and whether the machines will continue to work.」
Solar panels and batteries have become ubiquitous across Yemen, with more than half of households relying on them in some capacity, according to the WHO. However, the quality of this alternative power varies drastically by income. Wealthier families can afford extensive systems to power multiple appliances, while others secure only enough energy for a single light, a fan, or a phone charger, leaving many still vulnerable to the darkness.
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