A few nights before he was blown up by a car bomb, the governor of Aden was reclining on a purple velvet cushion, elaborating on his dreams for the port city, when a white smartphone started buzzing. Since Yemeni militia backed by Saudi airstrikes retook the port city from Houthi rebels in July last year , Aden was officially back in government control but largely dependent on other countries for its security.
The Yemeni state shows no sign of re-establishing itself despite the return of its president from exile. He picked up another phone and started calling officials in three countries: UAE army command in Abu Dhabi, Saudi airforce command in Riyadh and the airline director in Cairo. If I open the airport, I can bring NGOs, companies and investment into the city, get hotels running again and show the world that Aden is a safe place.
Life was gradually coming back to Aden. A few cargo ships gingerly waited in the harbour, the markets were crowded and in the dusk hours the wet sands of the Arabian sea glittered with the reflections of women in black abayas and fathers in sarongs paddling with their children. Young men sat in their cars chewing khat, mesmerised by the orange sun sinking in the dark frothy waters.
We just need stability. Airstrikes and tank shells have created corridors of devastation where floors lie flattened like crumpled biscuits, columns hang in mid-air and buildings miraculously stand on one corner. One thing does seem to be working well in Aden: electricity. And some parts of the city function as they always have.
The war has also kept international fishing trawlers away from Yemeni waters, and the fishermen are enjoying the abundance. In the morning, long and narrow boats pull into the harbour, and fisherman toss giant hammerhead sharks, tuna and swordfish into the waves, where they float until young men swim out from the dock to collect them, their muscles tense and glistening.
