ALBAWABA- In a heart-wrenching incident, Wizar Abdo Ali, a young Yemeni vendor from Aden, set himself on fire in an act of protest. His desperate act was a response to the heartless confiscation of his merchandise by the local authorities in Sheikh Othman, Aden.
The shocking incident unfolded before the eyes of onlookers including his son, as Wizar, engulfed in flames, stood in front of the local council building. It was a desperate plea for justice, an outcry against the unjust actions that had stripped him of his livelihood. The authorities, in a surprise operation, had raided the local market, forcibly taking away the goods of street vendors like
News reports highlighted that the local authorities had made a grave mistake in Sheikh Othman. Just two months ago, during Eid Al-Fitr, they had permitted these same vendors to operate their stalls for a fee. This sudden change in policy, accompanied by the refusal to return the confiscated items, pushed Wizar to a breaking point. With no means to provide for his family's basic needs, he took the drastic step of self-immolation, inflicting fatal injuries upon himself, causing his death at the hospital.
This heartrending incident shocked the residents of Aden, amplifying the frustrations caused by the deteriorating economic and living conditions in Aden. The city grapples with a scarcity of public services and persistent power cuts, aggravated further by the scorching summer heat. The people of Aden are overwhelmed with a sense of anger and resentment towards the local authorities, as well as the security belt forces of the UAE-backed separatist southern transitional council and the internationally recognized government for their failure to uphold the minimum standards of providing essential facilities and securing a decent quality of life.
