News - Yemen: Saudi- UAE occupied Aden is facing a mounting wave of public unrest as a severe collapse in living conditions and essential services fuels widespread anger against the internationally-recognized government and its local authorities.

Protests have escalated in recent days, with hundreds of women taking to the streets to demand the provision of basic necessities such as food, electricity, and potable water, alongside calls for social justice, payment of salaries, and healthcare.

According to a report by The New Arab, the deteriorating situation in Aden is the result of a decade of war, a de facto blockade, and institutional collapse. The report alleges that these factors have deepened corruption in southern and eastern provinces. It further claims that over past years, the Khor Maksar district has witnessed campaigns of assassination, arrest, kidnapping, and extortion by UAE-backed STC-aligned forces, targeting activists, journalists, and lawyers critical of the de facto authorities.

One activist participating in the demonstrations told the news site, "Our state is unbelievably corrupt... We took to the streets today as we did yesterday, and we will continue to protest until our legitimate demands are met."

The current women-led protests follow earlier demonstrations by men, which were met with suppression and arrests. In response, local militia in Aden have reportedly formed a female police unit, trained with direct support from Abu Dhabi in recent years, to disperse women's gatherings.

Eyewitnesses reported that these female security forces, affiliated with the STC, used violence against the demonstrators, preventing them from reaching the protest square. They also carried out pursuits and arrests in several neighborhoods in an attempt to contain the protests and prevent them from spreading.

Observers note that these developments reflect an unprecedented level of public frustration in Aden and occupied southern provinces, driven by a worsening economic crisis, the collapse of the local currency, soaring prices, and prolonged power outages.

Experts warn that the continuation of corruption and exclusionary policies by the Saudi-backed government and the UAE- backed STC could trigger wider unrest in Aden and other southern regions. This is exacerbated by a widespread public perception that officials live abroad with their families, enjoying dual privileges and foreign nationalities, while ordinary citizens are left to face poverty, unemployment, and a near-total absence of public services.

Analysts confirm that Aden, once known as the "Bride of the Arabian Sea," has become a symbol of escalating human suffering and political turmoil, with no clear path in sight to rescue the city from collapse.

Southern governorates in Yemen have been under the occupation since the US-Saudi aggression was waged in 2015. The southern port city of Aden serves as the temporary headquarters of the Saudi-backed Yemeni government. However, power in the south is contested by the Southern Transitional Council (STC), a secessionist group backed by the United Arab Emirates (UAE), which is a key member of the coalition. This has created a fragmented and often chaotic governance structure in and around Aden.