Fuel Supplies: Houthis’ Financial Lifeline Faces Dual Pressure from Public Anger Over ‘Contaminated Petrol’ And Airstrikes

Yemen Monitor | Reports Unit | Special Report: Fuel supplies in areas under Houthi control are facing the threat of a severe crisis, potentially depriving the group of a major source of revenue. As motorists renew complaints about deteriorating petrol quality and the damage it is causing to vehicles, the oil terminal at the port of Ras Isa and several major fuel storage facilities have come under repeated airstrikes by the Saudi-led coalition supporting Yemen’s internationally recognized government. The coalition has described the attacks as “precision operations” aimed at deterring the Houthis and preventing them from using vital resources to finance their war effort. On Sunday, November 1, coalition warplanes launched a series of airstrikes on the Ras Isa oil terminal as a vessel carrying petroleum products was unloading its cargo into trucks and tanker vehicles. The strikes sparked fires at the terminal, marking the third time the port, located in the western province of Hudaidah, has been targeted since early October. Houthi-affiliated media outlets published footage on Monday showing a massive fire engulfing the vessel and fuel trucks. Meanwhile, other media outlets circulated a video purportedly showing civilians escaping an airstrike targeting a cargo vessel in Yemen. The renewed strikes on Ras Isa coincide with widespread public frustration over the quality of gasoline currently circulating in Houthi-controlled markets. Consumers report contaminated and off-specification fuel, resulting in recurring financial losses for vehicle and motorcycle owners, amid an absence of official explanations from the Houthi-run Yemen Petroleum Company (YPC). Petrol Adds to Public Hardship In recent weeks, complaints about adulterated petrol have resurfaced across Houthi-controlled areas, with an increasing number of motorists reporting mechanical problems after refuelling. The most common issues include damaged fuel pumps, sediment accumulating inside the fuel system, reduced engine power and higher fuel consumption. Drivers say a single 20-litre jerrycan of petrol now allows their vehicles to travel less than half the distance they previously covered. This has significantly increased transportation costs and placed additional financial pressure on vehicle owners, many of whom depend on their cars and motorcycles for their daily work and livelihoods. مواطن في مناطق سيطرة جماعة #الحوثي ب #صنعاء يشكو تضرر سيارته من البنزين المغشوش pic.twitter.com/7lEikRuofn — يمن مونيتور (@YeMonitor) November 2, 2026 Activists have circulated a video showing a motorist repeatedly pressing the accelerator pedal to its maximum, while the engine’s power indicator remains virtually unchanged, illustrating complaints about poor vehicle performance after using the fuel currently available on the market. Yemen Monitor reporter reviewed social media posts over the past three days from residents in several Yemeni provinces describing their personal experiences with the petrol. Khalifa Issa, an activist and photographer from the central province of Ibb, wrote on his Facebook account complaining about the poor quality of the fuel and the foul odours it emits. He questioned how vehicle owners and workers who rely on daily transportation to earn a living were expected to cope. Issa said his own experience had forced him to replace his fuel pump twice, clean the fuel injectors and completely drain the fuel tank. He said the problems had caused repeated financial losses, with his vehicle suffering from reduced engine power and abnormal changes in engine sounds and performance. Strong Odours and Potentially Hazardous Substances In an apparent attempt to explain the problem, Kamal al-Kahlani, identified as the deputy director of the branch affairs evaluation department at the Houthi-run Yemen Petroleum Company, published a statement attributing the deterioration in fuel quality to prolonged storage under unsuitable conditions and in facilities not designed for that purpose. He argued that the problem was not caused by adulterated petrol but rather by emergency storage conditions. He later deleted the post. However, journalist Basim Janani, who follows Houthi affairs, offered a different explanation, blaming a petrol shipment imported by the group in August and rejecting storage conditions as the primary cause. “There is no longer any storage; the fuel is being pumped directly into tanker trucks,” Janani told Yemen Monitor. He said the shipment that arrived in August was the same one now causing damage to vehicles. He added that he had received photographs showing burns sustained by workers while handling and unloading the petrol from the vessel, but had refrained from publishing them to protect their safety. According to Janani, the imported quantity was exceptionally large and could be sufficient to supply markets in Houthi-controlled areas for six months. He warned that motorists were now facing two choices: stop using their vehicles altogether or continue driving and bear the resulting mechanical damage and repair costs. Janani said the complaints extended beyond poor engine performance and excessive fuel consumption to concerns about the chemical properties of the fuel itself. He described strong and unpleasant odours emanating from the shipment during handling, which he said had caused burning sensations and irritation among workers and fuel truck drivers during unloading and direct contact with the substance. He likened the substance’s effects on the skin to those caused by acidic chemicals commonly known as acid, raising concerns over the safety of workers involved in transporting and unloading the fuel. Filters No Longer a Solution During previous waves of complaints about adulterated petrol, some fuel stations began offering filters to remove impurities, while others continued selling fuel without using them. The practice gradually spread, with most stations eventually adopting filtration systems to reduce particles and sediment. However, residents have recently reported that their vehicles continue to suffer mechanical problems even after refuelling at stations equipped with filters. This has strengthened suspicions that the problem may not be limited to physical impurities that can be trapped by filters, but could instead involve the chemical composition of the fuel itself. In February, the Houthi-controlled Yemen Petroleum Company announced that it would dispatch inspection teams to fuel stations that had received complaints from motorists whose vehicles developed mechanical problems after refuelling. In a statement at the time, the company acknowledged that contaminated petrol had been distributed in the market and pledged to investigate the complaints. Compensation Promises Remain Unfulfilled This is not the first time that complaints about contaminated petrol have emerged in Houthi-controlled areas. The group’s petroleum company has previously faced similar allegations and announced the establishment of channels through which residents could report stations selling fuel that failed to meet required specifications. At the time, the company required complainants to provide specific information on reporting forms and pledged to investigate the complaints and compensate those affected. However, residents who filed documented complaints more than a year ago told Yemen Monitor that they had received no compensation for the damage to their vehicles. “They told us they would contact us, but we are still waiting to this day,” some of the complainants said. As the problem resurfaces and complaints continue to spread, the Houthi-run petroleum company has once again remained silent, as it has on previous occasions before eventually issuing explanations under public and media pressure. The petrol crisis has also coincided with a fuel price increase announced by the group last week. The price of a 20-litre jerrycan has risen to 11,400 rials in the old currency, equivalent to approximately $21, less than a month after a previous increase. The successive price hikes have added to the burden on residents, who are already struggling with rising fuel costs as well as mounting vehicle repair bills and disruptions caused by mechanical failures. Oil Facilities Under Fire Alongside the fuel-quality crisis, oil facilities in Houthi-controlled areas have come under growing pressure from airstrikes carried out by the Saudi-led coalition since early October. The coalition says the operations are aimed at cutting off sources of funding for the group’s war effort. Last month, the strikes targeted fuel facilities and storage depots at the port of Ras Isa in Hudaidah, the central Al-Sabaha fuel station in Sanaa, and major facilities and fuel stations in the provinces of Dhamar and Hudaidah. The Ras Isa area, which includes terminals for unloading petroleum products and storage depots, was hit by airstrikes in mid-October. According to available reports, the attacks involved 10 airstrikes. Two days later, coalition warplanes targeted the Al-Subaha central fuel station in Sanaa, following warnings urging residents in neighbouring areas to move to safe locations. While the coalition said the targeted facilities were being used to finance the Houthis’ military capabilities, officials in the group’s petroleum sector swiftly denied that any petroleum products were present at the Al-Subaha station at the time of the attack, insisting that it was empty and had no military value. The strikes resumed at Ras Isa on Sunday as a vessel named RSM BLESSED was reportedly unloading a shipment of petroleum products, according to the Houthi account. Reports indicated that the port’s unloading terminal and fuel transport trucks at the site were hit. Fuel Smuggling and Import Routes Commenting on the nature of petroleum supplies reaching Houthi-controlled areas, journalist Basim Janani said the port of Ras Isa had witnessed changes in the mechanism for importing fuel in recent months, amid a decline in the role of the United Nations inspection mechanism that previously regulated the entry of vessels. He said the port had effectively become an entry point for smuggled petroleum products from Iran, Iraq and countries bordering the Arabian Sea, adding that smuggling operations had increased in recent months. Janani explained that some vessels were now entering the area after switching off their navigation signals, making them invisible to maritime vessel-tracking applications. He said this practice had contributed to the growing flow of smuggled petroleum products into Houthi-controlled territories. With restrictions on the entry of petroleum products continuing, Houthi-controlled areas are likely to face an escalating fuel crisis, while contaminated petrol may remain in circulation without any effective solution. At the same time, the group is facing repeated strikes against one of its most important sources of revenue, adding further pressure as military confrontations intensify. The post Fuel Supplies: Houthis’ Financial Lifeline Faces Dual Pressure from Public Anger Over ‘Contaminated Petrol’ And Airstrikes appeared first on Yemen Monitor.