Angry Yemenis Protest against Fuel Price Hikes

Hundreds of angry protesters took to the streets across several Yemeni cities on Wednesday as a government decision to raise fuel prices in the impoverished country came into effect.

Motorists found  that petrol prices had nearly doubled on Wednesday -- the third day of the Muslim festival of Eid al-Fitr -- from 2,500 to 4,000 Yemeni riyals ($11.6 to $18.6) for 20 litres.

The price of diesel jumped from 2,000 to 3,900 riyals ($9 to $18) for the same quantity.

Protesters burned tyres blocking main roads in the capital Sanaa as well in the second-largest city Taez, the main southern city of Aden, and the western coastal city of Hodeida, witnesses said.

"The government's decision to raise the prices of fuel further destroys the lives of Yemeni citizens who are already living in severe poverty," said one of the protesters, Talal Makki, a taxi driver and father of three. "Yemenis must stand up against this decision."

Poverty in Yemen, one of the world's most food insecure countries, stands at 54.5 percent, according to a 2012 World Bank estimate.

The government has promised that the hike in prices will be accompanied by a raise in salaries. 

But according to Yemeni economic experts, only one-third of the population are employed by the government which means that the majority will not benefit from such raises.

Similar street protests over power cuts and fuel shortages prompted Yemeni President Abdrabuh Mansur Hadi to replace five ministers in a cabinet reshuffle last month.

Since taking over as president in 2012, Hadi has struggled with the huge challenges facing the Arabian Peninsula country, which include an al-Qaida insurgency, a Shiite rebellion in the far north, and campaigns for secession in the formerly independent south.