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DUBAI: Life has ground to a halt for locals in Yemen\u2019s Mocha since Houthi fighters seized the strategic Red Sea port city last week, with shops closed, schools deserted and families confined to their homes.<\/p>\n
\u201cI haven\u2019t gone out to work for a week. If I do go out, it\u2019s only to go to the grocery shop out of necessity,\u201d resident Mahmoud, 34, said by phone.<\/p>\n
The bus driver spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals by the Houthis, who took control of the southwestern city in a lightning offensive this month against the internationally recognized government\u2019s forces. <\/p>\n
\nPeople are afraid that their children will be influenced by Houthi propaganda and recruited into their ranks.<\/strong><\/p>\n
Maysaa Shuja Al-Deen, Analyst<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
Large numbers of civilians have fled the city, which once played a key role in the coffee trade and gives the drink its name.<\/p>\n
Shops that used to stay open in the evenings now close much earlier, Mahmoud said.<\/p>\n
\u201cPeople are afraid. There is electricity, but at 8 p.m. the whole city is plunged into darkness,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
After the Houthis moved in, tens of thousands of locals fled, many to the major southern city of Aden, where the government is based.<\/p>\n
Yet \u201cmany families stayed behind,\u201d mainly because of a lack of funds, said Mahmoud, adding that the price of a bus journey to Aden had skyrocketed.<\/p>\n
After moving into the city, the Houthis \u201care coming up against the reluctance of residents who are holed up in their homes,\u201d said Youssef, a 45-year-old teacher who also requested anonymity.<\/p>\n
He said that \u201cfor the time being, parents are refusing to send their children to school\u201d in the city.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere is anxiety, fear and constant tension.\u201d<\/p>\n
Parents have fled Houthi control or refused to send their children to school when the fighters have taken over government areas.<\/p>\n
\u201cPeople are afraid that their children will be influenced by Houthi propaganda and recruited into their ranks, said Maysaa Shuja Al-Deen, a researcher at the Sanaa Center for Strategic Studies.<\/p>\n
She said others had left Houthi areas because they were scared to live under crippling US sanctions targeting the Houthis, while others were concerned about crackdowns on NGOs, journalists and opponents.<\/p>\n
As panic over Houthi reprisals took hold in Mocha, some residents were taking measures to avoid punishment.<\/p>\n
\u201cI know neighbors who have even deleted WhatsApp for fear of being prosecuted or arrested,\u201d said Youssef.<\/p>\n
\u201cFear prevails.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n