[19/June/2009]

SANA'A, June 19 (Saba) – Surging piracy off Somalia has paralyzed the movement of fuel tankers in Yemen, causing a grave fuel shortage across the republic.

Long queues of cars have been seen even in the capital amid insufficient diesel quantities at filling stations.

According to the Yemen General Corporation for Oil, Gas and Mineral Resources, pirate attacks recently stepped up in the Gulf of Aden have forced oil and gas tankers not to transport fuel from the Aden refinery to distribution branches throughout the country.

Some people are taking advantage of the crisis filling fuel in extra battles, helping the crisis worsen.

According to some petrol stations owners fuel supplies they get are insufficient to meet the people's demand.

However, officials assured that the company in cooperation with the Coast Guard and Navy are working the situation out, saying appropriate measures are underway.

The outcomes would surface within twenty four hours.

On reported price hikes in oil derivatives, a source at the company denied reports as baseless, saying the prices remain fixed.

Yemen has reported several fuel shortages this year, with violence either by pirates or internal subversives mainly blamed in every time. 

In recent years, piracy has soared off Somalia's coast threatening one of the world's busiest waterways through which 20.000 vessels and ships pass a year. 

Responding to the pehnomenon, many countries have sent anti-piracy ships to the region to hunt Somali pirates in the Arabian and Red Seas. 

Many pirate attacks were foiled and dozens of pirates captured by the anti-pirate forces so far. 

FR