National shutdown
Internet Services
During the 2020 Falcon submarine cable crisis, the digital landscape in Yemen became a strategic battlefield between the Hadi government in Aden and authorities in Sanaa. According to regional reports from late January 2020, the Hadi administration allegedly ordered the disconnection of a 10 GB backup link from Djibouti, threatening to eliminate the country's remaining minimal internet capacity during the ongoing subsea cable outage.
This move was characterized as a tactical attempt to leverage telecommunications control following military shifts in Nehm and Marib. While TeleYemen officials in Sanaa worked to maintain 20% of the national traffic through emergency routes, the political infighting over 'Aden Net' and the control of international assets further complicated the restoration process. This incident underscores how infrastructure vulnerabilities in Yemen were intentionally exploited by warring factions to use internet access as a tool of political pressure and collective punishment.
- Total Duration 27 days
Yemen
- Population
- 41,773,878
- UN Classification
-
- Least Developed Country
Local impact
There are reports that the Hadi government is considering cutting the subsea cable between Yemen and Djibouti.
Media coverage
Hadi's government ends hopes of returning the Internet — Al-Habar Al-Yemeni