With the advent of the holy fasting month of Ramadan, the Iran-backed Houthi militias in Sanaa and other regions under their control have deliberately caused a cooking gas shortage in order to force the Yemeni people to seek out the black market. Local sources told Asharq Al-Awsat that for over a month, the Houthis had deliberately refrained from distributing gas canisters in residential neighborhoods in Sanaa, forcing people to turn to the black market where goods are sold at double the price. The demand for cooking gas multiplies during Ramadan, something the Houthis are well aware of in order to revive the black market. The shortage has left thousands of families without any cooking gas for weeks, revealed the sources. The Houthis have made billions of rials over the past five years through such deceptive means, with the gains often going for their war effort and the enrichment of their leaders. Sanaa residents complained to Asharq Al-Awsat that over a month ago, the Houthis confiscated cooking gas canisters in order to sell them in the black market. The official cost of a gas canister in Sanaa is 4,000 rials and it can run as high as 8,000 to 12,000 rials on the black market. Ahmed A., a father of six, told Asharq Al-Awsat that the Houthis are seeking to make financial gains at the expense of the people’s suffering. The shortage has forced another Sanaa resident, Umm Abdullah to resort to collecting tree twigs and plastic and carton waste to use as a substitute for cooking gas. Moreover, workers at the Houthi-held gas company in Sanaa revealed that the militias have seized some 15 tankers loaded with cooking gas that was destined to the firm ahead of its distribution in various neighborhoods. Speaking on condition of anonymity out of fear of Houthi reprisals, the workers described the militias’ practices as “inhumane”, slamming them for using a vital resource to make illicit gains on the black market. In contrast, regions controlled by the legitimate government have witnessed a drop in the prices of gas canisters and fuel in general.