The financial needs for the recovery and reconstruction of the transport sector in Yemen range between $363-443 million over five years, an estimate that could reach $2.1-4.1 billion, to rebuild the country’s major ports and airports.
A recent Yemeni study said that the Houthi coup has caused significant loss in the transport sector, destroying roads, bridges, ports and airports. It added that 29 percent of the total road network within cities was severely damaged, and 511.1 km of roads were totally destroyed.
According to the study prepared by the Yemeni-based Center for Studies and Economic Media, at least 50 percent of the road network in the cities of Al-Hazm, Taiz, Saada and Marib was damaged.
The war caused the closure of the highway between Sanaa and the city of Marib, which stretches along 173 km and links the country’s capital to the important oil and gas fields in the east.
The Houthi expansion also led to the closure of a number of important strategic 928 km roads, including the 200 km long road between the cities of Mocha and Hodeidah on the western coast of the country, the Aden-Bab al-Mandab Road in Mocha (350 km), and the Taiz-Mocha Road (100 km).
The militias are besieging the city of Taiz, causing the closure of all the main roads linking it with its surroundings and the rest of the governorates, which is leading to severe economic losses to public and private institutions and increasing burdens on the citizens, according to the study.
Moreover, the study noted that the Houthi militia planted mines in a large number of vital roads linking the most important cities of the country, such as the Sanaa-Marib road, east of the capital and the Taiz-Aden highway.
According to the World Bank estimates, the damage in the roads and bridges infrastructure is estimated at $500 million.
In addition, the ports of Hodeidah, Salif, and Mocha were severely damaged, as the Houthi militia exploited them to import weapons and divert their resources to the war effort. The ports of Aden and Mukalla need approximately $49.5 million to maintain their dilapidated equipment.
The war also affected the normal operation of air transport, while airports in Sanaa, Taiz, Aden and Al-Hodeidah stopped working or operated at a very low capacity, according to the study.
According to the statistics of the Ministry of Industry and Trade, losses incurred by the airports amount to $2 billion, including damage to infrastructure, navigational and technical equipment, radars, and the suspension of travel.
