Houthi mobilization against those demanding salaries: Details of the crisis in Sana'a

The Yemeni capital, Sana'a, and areas under Houthi control are witnessing an unprecedented security mobilization as the group attempts to confront and contain the growing demands of government employees for their salaries, which have been suspended for years. These security measures are a direct response to the escalating public and labor unrest, particularly following the increasing calls for strikes and protests from various sectors, most notably the education sector and teachers, who are suffering from dire living conditions due to the cessation of their financial entitlements.

Background and Historical Context:
The roots of the salary crisis in Yemen can be traced back to 2016, following the decision to relocate the Central Bank of Yemen from Sana'a to the interim capital, Aden, and the subsequent sharp financial and monetary division. Since then, hundreds of thousands of public sector employees in Houthi-controlled areas have been living without regular salaries, with the de facto authorities only paying "half salaries" at very infrequent intervals, often linked to the group's religious holidays. This has exacerbated the humanitarian catastrophe and pushed millions of families to the brink of famine.

Amidst heightened security measures and mutual accusations,
and in the context of the current state of alert, local sources reported that the group has intensified its security presence and deployed intelligence operatives to monitor those calling for protests, leveling accusations of treason and collaboration against anyone demanding their financial rights. The group considers the demands for salaries at this time to be part of what it calls "external plots" to destabilize the home front, a pretext it routinely uses to suppress any rights-based or union-based movement seeking to secure employee rights.

Economic and humanitarian repercussions:
Economic observers believe that the continued disregard for employee demands and the reliance on security solutions instead of economic remedies foreshadow an imminent social explosion. The economic situation in Houthi-controlled areas is witnessing a continuous deterioration, with a lack of purchasing power and a widening poverty gap. Experts emphasize that resolving the salary issue is a fundamental pillar in any future peace negotiations, and that bypassing this humanitarian issue complicates the political landscape and exacerbates the suffering of citizens who now lack the most basic necessities for a dignified life.