Al-Wadiah border crossing between Yemen and Saudi Arabia has turned into an arena of torment for thousands of travelers amid endless queues, almost non-existent services, and deafening silence from the Saudi authorities.
Expatriates stranded at the crossing confirmed that they have been stuck for nearly five days amid dire humanitarian conditions, with many forced to sleep on the ground under the scorching sun and a severe shortage of basic amenities such as clean water and toilets.
They explained that service prices have skyrocketed, forcing travelers to pay exorbitant sums for meals, while the area lacks adequate shelter, forcing families to sleep in the open.
Cars and buses are waiting in long queues alongside hundreds of trucks loaded with Yemeni agricultural produce bound for the Saudi market due to the disruption of traffic through the crossing.
Thousands of Yemeni travelers stranded at the Al-Wadiah crossing issued an urgent appeal to the coalition-affiliated government and Saudi authorities to facilitate the orderly opening of the crossing and provide a minimum of services before the crisis turns into a full-blown humanitarian disaster. The Saudi authorities have yet to provide an explanation for the causes of the congestion.
