ADEN, Yemen, Aug. 23 (Xinhua) -- Prolonged power outages continued to plague Yemen's southern port city of Aden on Wednesday due to an ongoing shortage of fuel.
In the past four days, power outages have reached up to 20 hours per day as 80 percent of the city's electricity facilities are unable to operate, according to an official of the state-run Aden Electricity Corporation.
The frequent blackouts have sparked angry demonstrations across Aden as residents demand solutions to the city's electricity woes.
On Tuesday evening, protesters blocked main roads and burned tires, prompting security forces to open fire, wounding four people.
Local security authorities issued a brief press statement expressing sympathy for residents' frustrations but warned against property damage or sabotage.
The recurring blackouts have disrupted daily life and exacerbated already high temperatures during the hot summer months. Locals have complained that the outages endanger the elderly and those with health conditions.
Aden has experienced instability since becoming the country's interim capital following the Houthi takeover of Sanaa. But residents said the recent electricity crisis has been among the most challenging issues facing the port city in recent years.
Yemen has been embroiled in a civil war since late 2014, when the Houthi rebel militia attacked several northern cities and forced the internationally-recognized Yemeni government to leave the Yemeni capital of Sanaa. ■
