News - Yemen: Saudi-UAE Occupied Aden is witnessing growing public unrest amid escalating calls from activists and civil organizations for a large protest outside "Presidential" Ma’ashiq Palace, the temporary headquarters of the Riyadh-backed Presidential Council and the “government of traitors,” in protest of worsening living conditions, unpaid salaries, and deteriorating services.

Local organizers said the planned demonstration aims to denounce the starvation and impoverishment policies pursued by the Saudi-Emirati aggression coalition and its local proxies. Families of slain and wounded fighters who served with the coalition’s forces are also expected to join, demanding their long-withheld compensations and rights after being left without support or care.

Activists accused the Saudi-backed government of corruption and failure to administer the occupied areas under the coalition’s control, noting that the authorities have been unable to pay salaries or secure basic services, including fuel for power plants. Widespread electricity outages, high temperatures, and worsening healthcare conditions have intensified the suffering of residents.

In parallel, a wave of outrage swept social media following reports of grave abuses committed by militias of the so-called Southern Transitional Council (STC), loyal to the Emirati occupation, at Aden International Airport.

An online campaign launched under the hashtag #Aden_Airport_Is_Not_Safe exposed what activists described as “kidnappings and identity-based arrests” carried out by militias backed by Riyadh and Abu Dhabi. Travelers reported that the airport has become “a trap for Yemenis” rather than a safe passage. 

The campaign documented arbitrary detentions and other violations, accusing the armed groups of using the airport as a tool for political retribution and advancing foreign agendas that aim to fragment Yemen’s social fabric and ignite internal divisions.

Observers said the situation in Aden and its airport reflects the broader collapse across the southern provinces under the occupation of the aggression coalition, where rising crime and lawlessness accompany infighting between the Saudi- and Emirati-backed factions over influence and wealth.

Activists warned that the public anger in occupied Aden is likely to escalate further in the coming days, as the starvation policy continues without any genuine solutions. They held the Saudi-Emirati coalition and the “government of traitors” fully responsible for the city’s humanitarian and economic collapse.

Since 2015, Aden has been under Saudi- and Emirati-backed occupation, with the Riyadh-backed Presidential Council and allied militias controlling the city. Chronic corruption, unpaid salaries, power outages, and arbitrary arrests have fueled widespread public anger, reflecting broader unrest across southern Yemen and raising the risk of escalating protests and instability.