Fuel prices soar on back of Iran war, leaving Yemeni labourers with no work

Taiz, Yemen – Fuad Mohammed has been working as a construction labourer for more than 25 years. The 46-year-old has seen things get progressively worse in Yemen’s construction industry since the war in the country started more than a decade ago, and then further deteriorate after the US-Israel war on Iran began in late February, with its devastating economic impact on the wider region.“We can barely eke out a living for our families,” Fuad told Al Jazeera.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Iran hits US in Jordan, US-Saudi strikes on Iraq: Is war spreading?list 2 of 3Yemen’s Houthis claim missile attack on Saudi Arabia oil tankerlist 3 of 3Trump says ‘good chance’ of progress in Iran talks. What we knowend of listThe ongoing regional war has damaged economies across the Middle East, with government-controlled areas of Yemen bearing a heavy burden as commodity prices soar. Among the hardest-hit sectors is fuel: in January, 20 litres (5.3 gallons) of diesel cost 25,000 Yemeni riyals ($17), but today that price has skyrocketed to 45,000 riyals ($30). That massive spike has triggered a domino effect, driving up the costs of all goods and services dependent on fuel and transpo...