Virus outbreak: Yemen’s qat markets thrive despite virus threat

While many of the world’s markets have closed to curb the spread of the coronavirus, in Yemen’s capital Sana’a, the central districts that sell qat, the ubiquitous mild narcotic drug, are still full of people.

Ignoring the rules of social estrangement, Yemenis struggle to select bunches of chewy leaves from vendors found in the narrow lanes filled with stalls.

“If the qat markets were to be closed, believe me when I say that 98 percent of the Yemeni population would object,” said Ali al-Zubeiry, a Sana resident, who is an avid consumer.

Photo: AFP

“We call on the authorities not to close the qat markets because the Yemenis live on it,” he said, adding that it would probably be a good idea to move them to a more open space.

Yemen, engulfed in civil war since 2014 and for a long time the poorest nation in the Arabian Peninsula, is a major producer and consumer of qat, which is banned in some countries, but has been part of Yemen’s social fabric for thousands of years.

The country was once again known for its coffee industry, but qat’s easy profits meant that it overshadowed that trade and spread to other agricultural land, around the Red Sea and in African countries like Ethiopia and Somalia, where it also flourishes.

A bundle of leaves is put on the cheek and chewed slowly. The WHO estimates that 90 percent of adult men in Yemen participate for several hours a day, and some women and children also adopt the habit.

Police officers can be seen on the streets chewing on the green plant, hiding in plastic bags next to them as they carry out their tasks.

“Chewing qat leaves releases chemicals structurally related to amphetamines, giving the chewer a slight rush that some say is comparable to consuming strong coffee,” according to the WHO.

Vendors of Qat in Sana’a, the northern capital controlled by the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels, continue to display bags of their products to customers in markets, conducting transactions without precautionary measures, such as masks or gloves.

Yemen has largely escaped the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, with a total of seven cases reported so far, but the country announced its first two deaths from respiratory disease on Wednesday.

The UN warned that six years of war, pitting the Houthis against the government and its Saudi-led supporters, have left the health system in tatters, and a major outbreak would lead to a humanitarian catastrophe.

Insurgents, who control much of the north, including Sana’a, have suspended schools and flights to prevent the pandemic, but have so far been unable to close qat markets.

Many Yemenis turned to selling qat after the war broke out and their wages ran out.

Ahmed Saleh, a public school teacher who has not been paid in four years, said selling qat is his “main source of income.”

“Closing the markets due to the coronavirus will lead to starvation,” he said. “Many people depend on buying and selling qat.”

Muthir al-Marouni, director general of the insurgent health department in Sana’a, said he expects markets to close soon because “they could become an important source for the spread of the virus.”

“People’s lives are more important than markets,” he said.

However, he said such a decision would be difficult to implement considering how many people depend on the trade.

“The decision must be carefully studied and a solution found … to ensure that people can continue to live,” Marouni said.

While many people continue to shop in the crowded qat markets, others in Sanaa have opted for home delivery to feed hour-long sessions with family and friends.

“After the spread of the coronavirus, many are afraid to go to the market and have asked that their qat be delivered to their homes,” said seller Ghaleb al-Huseimy. “They have one condition: that I be the only one to touch the product.”

Omar al-Abi is a customer who has opted for the delivery service for fear of contracting the virus.

“Qat could become a major reason for the rapid spread of the virus because the markets are extremely crowded,” he said. “More than 50 people could have touched a bag.”