Driven by desperation: Yemenis resort to dangerous energy alternatives
Summary
In Yemen’s city of Taiz, many people rely on solar power and cooking gas for energy because there is no public electricity and petrol is very expensive. However, unsafe installation of solar batteries and risky vehicle conversions to cooking gas have caused many fires, burns, and deaths. Hospitals are treating a rising number of patients injured by these accidents.Key Facts
- A fire caused by a lithium battery explosion in a solar power system killed a mother and two children in Taiz.
- Many homes in Taiz use solar power because there is no public electricity grid.
- Hospital burns units in Taiz regularly treat victims of explosions and fires caused by solar batteries and gas accidents.
- In the first half of 2024, Al-Thawra Hospital treated 2,729 burn cases, including 13 deaths linked to energy-related fires.
- Some vehicle owners have converted their cars to run on cooking gas because petrol prices are very high.
- Cooking gas is much cheaper than petrol in Yemen, costing about one-third the price per liter.
- These cooking gas vehicle conversions have increased the number of vehicle fires and explosions.
- Authorities have started public workshops to warn people about the dangers of unsafe energy use and gas vehicle conversions.
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