Sanaa resident Abdullah Salami had been trying to buy food with the money in his pocket but without much luck. With no shop willing to accept the banknotes, Salami returned to his family's home empty-handed.

In November 2019, freshly printed banknotes arrived in Aden, headquarters of the UN-recognized government of Yemeni President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi. From there they were pumped onto the market to gradually begin the process of replacing older notes nationwide. While it is not a problem to use the new notes in government-controlled areas, on Dec. 19, the Sanaa-based Houthi government banned their use and exchange in areas under its control.

This new economic fraying between the Houthis and the government constitutes yet another burden on weary civilians, particularly in Yemen’s north, and exacerbation of their economic plight.

“A couple of days back, I went to the shop to buy some food commodities” Salami told Al-Monitor. “I selected the items and came to the attendant to make the payment, but he said, ‘Sorry, return the items. I cannot accept these new notes,’” Salami told Al-Monitor.