Reality Behind Gasoline Shortage Crisis in Addis Ababa

The sign “No Gasoline” appears frequently at gas stations across Addis Ababa, apparently because of the gasoline shortage. Drivers often face long queues when trying to get the gasoline. Recently, gasoline prices have surged dramatically. This situation marks one of the most intense periods in recent years. Many frustrated drivers wait in long lines, forced to spend their entire day seeking fuel.

Metered taxi drivers face significant challenges as well. They struggle to fulfill their work commitments amid the ongoing fuel scarcity. Some regional cities do have gasoline available, but they experience similar issues of gasoline shortage. Finding petrol at any hour is nearly impossible in some regional towns.

Drivers hear that fuel is unavailable at gas stations. However, they know that illegal sales on the black market are common.

Reportedly, this ongoing issue raises concerns about the powerful entities behind the black market operation. In regional cities, gasoline prices can reach double that of other main locations. This situation complicates the difficulties faced by drivers and citizens alike. It remains uncertain when this cycle of black market fuel sales will end.

At the start of this month, there was a breakdown of the Horizon fuel storage in Djibouti, where Ethiopia gets its fuel from. Because of this breakdown, there is now a fuel shortage in many cities of Ethiopia outside of Addis Ababa. Some areas have even run out of fuel very quickly. Although, the deputy head of the Oil and Energy Authority raised concerns that gas stations may be hiding fuel because they think fuel prices will go up soon.

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