ADEN: Bullet-riddled homes, buildings turned to rubble and countless pictures of “martyrs”: Seven years into Yemen’s civil war, the interim capital Aden bears the scars of a conflict that shows no signs of abating.

While Aden is now relatively stable, economically the ancient port city has been left on its knees.

Water and electricity are intermittent, serving a population that officials say has tripled to more than 3 million, as people seek safety from fighting raging elsewhere.

Aden Gov. Ahmed Lamlas said the outbreak of war in 2015 was a “disaster,” leaving the city’s infrastructure in ruins. “We are still suffering from the impacts of war,” said Lamlas, who narrowly escaped a deadly car bomb attack in October.

Yemen has a long history of civil war, and was divided into North and South Yemen until 1990.

It descended into brutal conflict again when Iran-backed Houthi rebels launched a military campaign to seize power in 2014, taking large swathes of territory including the capital Sanaa in the north.

The following year, after the Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen intervened, the insurgents were at the gates of Aden. They held sway for a few months before being pushed out by loyalist forces.

As if civil war and a struggle for the city were not enough, Aden has also been targeted by a number of bombings claimed by Daesh.

Along the corniche in Aden stands a large portrait of the former governor, Jaafar Saad, who was killed in a car bomb claimed by Daesh in 2015.

At the airport, a gaping hole torn into the arrivals terminal reminds visitors of a missile attack on Cabinet members in 2020, a memorial of sorts to the at least 26 people killed.

AFP