A Meeting in Aden Discusses the Suffering of Socotra’s People Due to Transport Difficulties and High Costs

Yemen Monitor / Newsroom:

Dr. Issa Muslim, Deputy Governor of Socotra Archipelago Governorate, met with Dr. Rashad Al-Alimi, Chairman of the Presidential Leadership Council, in the temporary capital, Aden. He conveyed to him the suffering of the people of Socotra due to the difficulty of transportation and the high cost of travel via the national carrier, “Yemenia Airways.” He explained that citizens are forced to cut into their families’ sustenance in order to travel for medical treatment or education. He also highlighted that some face great risks due to reliance on unsafe fishing boats, which has caused cases of loss of life and casualties that continue to affect many families.

During the meeting, the Deputy Governor presented official memorandums that included demands to provide petroleum products to the governorate and sell them at the state-approved prices. He also affirmed the importance of fair partnership for the people of Socotra in wealth, power, and job opportunities within the state’s agencies and institutions.

He also reviewed the distinctiveness of the archipelago and its rare natural environment, stressing the necessity of protecting Socotra as a global natural reserve, especially with the increasing tourist influx to the governorate.

For his part, the Chairman of the Presidential Leadership Council praised the national role of the people of Socotra and their contribution to building Yemen, emphasizing the political leadership’s commitment to improving living conditions and developing public services in the governorate. Al-Alimi affirmed the necessity of protecting the Socotra environment as a national and human wealth that must be preserved, while working to address the urgent issues facing the archipelago’s residents.

The meeting underscored the political leadership’s keenness to ensure a decent life for the people of Socotra and guarantee their rights to development and stability, a step that reflects the state’s interest in remote governorates and their humanitarian and environmental challenges.