Aden, once a bustling Red Sea port, is overwhelmed after an influx of people fleeing Yemen’s war and migrants stranded en route to the Gulf. Authorities estimate around 755,000 registered arrivals, swelling the city’s population to roughly 3.5 million and straining water, power and housing. Rising rents and tent camps on the outskirts reflect growing hardship, while experts warn that public services could collapse without urgent aid and governance improvements.
Aden Strained to Breaking Point: Millions Fleeing War Overwhelm Services
Dec 11
Hundreds of thousands of people have fled to Aden seeking safety and work since the Houthi rebels seized Yemen's capital, Sanaa (Saleh Al-OBEIDI)(Saleh Al-OBEIDI/AFP/AFP)
Once a scenic Red Sea port, Aden — the government-held city in southern Yemen — is buckling under a massive influx of people fleeing conflict and migrants stranded en route to the Gulf. Power cuts are routine, running water is intermittent, rents have soared, and public services are stretched beyond capacity.
The centuries-old city has become a refuge since Iran-backed Houthi forces seized the capital, Sanaa, forcing the internationally recognised government to relocate. According to Yemen’s Minister of Social Affairs and Labour, Mohammed Saeed al-Zaouri, some 755,000 people have been registered as arrivals in Aden, with an unknown number more unregistered. He estimates Aden’s current population at roughly 3.5 million — more than double the 1.5 million recorded two decades ago. "This number is beyond Aden's capacity," he said.
Infrastructure and Daily Life Under Strain
The population surge has overwhelmed water and electricity systems and stretched telecommunications. Residents report prolonged outages: in October the city experienced a total blackout for five days — the third major outage that year — amid severe fuel shortages. Streets are clogged with traffic and dotted with generators, water trucks and military checkpoints. The city also bears visible scars of conflict, with buildings pockmarked by bullet holes and many structures in disrepair.
“The displaced have to share with residents the limited supply of water and have put additional pressure on electricity services and the telecommunications network,” said Mohammed, a 37-year-old government employee who provided only his first name.
Housing, Displacement and Migration
Rents have risen sharply, leaving many residents and newcomers unable to afford basic housing. The government worker who earns about $80 a month says typical apartment rents start near $106, forcing him to postpone his marriage. Tens of thousands of displaced people now live in makeshift tent camps on Aden’s outskirts. One such displaced resident, Abdulrahman Mohyiddin, fled Hodeida in 2018 with eight children and now lives in a canvas tent without reliable access to water, electricity or proper beds.
Aden has also drawn many African migrants who arrive on people-smuggling boats each month hoping to reach Gulf states, only to find themselves stranded in one of the Arabian Peninsula’s poorest countries.
Humanitarian Outlook and Economic Pressure
Experts warn that Aden may be approaching the limit of its ability to absorb more people. Farea al-Muslimi, a Yemen specialist at Chatham House in London, warned: “The city overall is drowning in sewage, constant power cuts, and worse, poor governance.” Yemen’s wider humanitarian crisis remains acute: UN figures show that roughly 19.5 million people — more than half the country — required humanitarian assistance in 2025, including approximately 4.8 million internally displaced people.
Even as fighting has eased in some areas, Aden’s economy deteriorated after 2024 amid currency depreciation, halted oil exports and funding constraints. Schools and aid programs remain critical lifelines; parents across the city say their children rely on fortified biscuit packs distributed by the UN. The strain is visible even in higher-end districts: at the Coral Aden Hotel, a guard said a security-trained police dog has grown frail because the security budget cannot cover its food. “He is exhausted, just like us,” the guard said.
The combined pressures of displacement, stranded migrants, decaying infrastructure and economic collapse leave Aden at a precarious crossroads: without sustained humanitarian and governance support, residents warn, the city’s deterioration is likely to accelerate.
