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{{Infobox settlement
<!--See the Table at Infobox Settlement for all fields and descriptions of usage-->
<!-- Basic info ---------------->| name = Lahij
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| settlement_type = City
| motto = <!-- images and maps ----------->
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| imagesize = 300
| image_caption = The City of Lahij, Capital of Lahj Governorate . Sultan Abdali Palace and Andalus Park in the background
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| pushpin_map = Yemen<!-- the name of a location map as per http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Location_map -->
| pushpin_label_position = bottom
| pushpin_mapsize = 300
| pushpin_map_caption = Location in Yemen
<!-- Location ------------------>| subdivision_type = Country
| subdivision_name = {{flag|Yemen}}
| subdivision_type1 = [[Governorates of Yemen|Governorate]]
| subdivision_name1 = [[Lahij Governorate|Lahij]]
| parts_type = [[Yemeni Crisis (2011–present)|Occupation]]
| parts_style = para
| p1 = {{Flagicon|South Yemen}} [[Southern Transitional Council]]{{cn|date=October 2023}}
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| subdivision_name3 = |<!-- Politics
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| established_title = <!-- Settled -->
| established_date = <!-- Area --------------------->
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| area_total_km2 = <!-- ALL fields dealing with a measurements are subject to automatic unit conversion-->
| area_land_km2 = <!--See table @ Template:Infobox Settlement for details on automatic unit conversion-->
<!-- Population ----------------------->| population_as_of = 2012
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| population_total = 30661
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| population_blank1_title = Ethnicities
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| utc_offset = +3
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| coordinates = {{coord|13|03|N|44|53|E|region:YE|display=inline}}
| elevation_footnotes = <!--for references: use <ref> </ref> tags-->
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'''
It is located in the delta of the Wadi Tuban on the main trade route connecting Aden with Ta'izz, Ibb, and Sanaa.<ref name="UN-Habitat">{{cite book |last1=United Nations Human Settlements Programme in Yemen |title=Al-Hawtah City Profile |date=2020 |url=https://yemenportal.unhabitat.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Al-Hawtah.pdf |access-date=27 February 2021}}</ref>{{rp|33, 40}} Al-Hawtah is known for the shrine of al-Salih Muzahim Ja'far, which attracts pilgrims from throughout Yemen during the month of [[Rajab]].<ref name="UN-Habitat"/>{{rp|33}} It is known as "al-Hawtah al-Ja'fariyyah" in his honor.<ref name="UN-Habitat"/>{{rp|33}}
==History==
[[File:Henry Salt - Castle of the Sultaun of Aden at Lahadj 1248720.jpg|thumb|Castle of the Sultan of Aden at Lahej in 1814 before the occupation of Aden by the British in 1839 Abdali Sultanate of Lahej, Yemen.]]
[[File:Lahej mid-1930s.jpg|thumb|The town of Lahej, capital of the [[Sultanate of Lahej|sultanate]] of the same name. The sultan's palace in the background. Postcard issued c. 1935.]]
The capital of Lahj used to be at [[al-Ra'ra']], which was destroyed when the Ottomans conquered the [[Tahirids]] in the early 1500s and then all but disappears from historical records.<ref name="UN-Habitat"/>{{rp|33}} Al-Hawtah became capital then.<ref name="UN-Habitat"/>{{rp|33}}
The Lahj region experienced instability after Yemeni government forces withdrew from the area in 2012, and Tribal Popular Committee funding was cut.<ref name="UN-Habitat"/>{{rp|9}} The reduced state presence emboldened [[al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula]] to launch a series of attacks in the governorate in June 2013.<ref name="UN-Habitat"/>{{rp|9}} On 28 January 2015, al-Qaeda demolished the historic [[Sufyan Mosque]] in the Al Hota village district.<ref name="UN-Habitat"/>{{rp|8, 37}} Then on 20 March, al-Qaeda fighters captured al-Hawtah and killed about 20 people during their brief occupation of the city before being driven out by government forces.<ref name="UN-Habitat"/>{{rp|8}} Less than a week later, on 26 March, [[Houthi]] forces captured al-Hawtah and the nearby [[Al Anad Air Base]] en route to Aden.<ref name="UN-Habitat"/>{{rp|8-9}} They held the city until August, when [[Southern Transitional Council]]-led airstrikes bombarded Houthi positions and cleared the way for hundreds of government troops to move north toward Al Anad Air Base.<ref name="UN-Habitat"/>{{rp|9}} The Houthis were driven out by 4 August, losing most of their heavy weaponry in the process.<ref name="UN-Habitat"/>{{rp|8-9}}
Al-Qaeda struck again in early 2016, capturing the city on 25 January and holding it until government forces retook it on 15 April after a major battle.<ref name="UN-Habitat"/>{{rp|8}} In June, the Security Belt Forces were inaugurated in Lahj to serve as the main military and police force in the area.<ref name="UN-Habitat"/>{{rp|9}} Al-Qaeda led an attack on the Security Belt headquarters in March 2017 but failed to take control of the city.<ref name="UN-Habitat"/>{{rp|9}}
On 16 November 2017, the Southern Transitional Council announced at a festival in al-Hawtah that they would be assuming control of Lahj and ad-Dali' governorates.<ref name="UN-Habitat"/>{{rp|8}} With al-Qaeda being driven out of the governorate altogether in 2018, the new conflict was mostly between the STC and the Yemeni national government.<ref name="UN-Habitat"/>{{rp|8-9}} Armed clashes broke out between the two sides' forces on 28 August 2019, resulting in the central government's forces taking control of the Security Belt headquarters and the city as a whole.<ref name="UN-Habitat"/>{{rp|8}} Two days later, on 30 August, the Security Belt forces were able to retake control of the city for the STC from the central government.<ref name="UN-Habitat"/>{{rp|9}}
In 2020 there were reports of armed men intimidating merchants in al-Hawtah.<ref name="alomanaa">{{cite web |title=شكاوى من تحصيل مبالغ مالية دون سندات في لحج |url=https://al-omana.net/details.php?id=108302 |website=alomanaa.net |access-date=30 June 2022}}</ref><ref name="UN-Habitat"/>{{rp|30}}
==Economy==
Historically, Lahij has produced [[
Al-Hawtah is the site of Lahj Governorate's main [[jasmine]] market, where it is gathered from farmers and then sold to cities throughout Yemen.<ref name="Rashad 2021">{{cite news |last1=Rashad |first1=Fatima |title=The Disappearance of the Gunpowder Smell and the Sunrise of the al-Qamandan Jasmine |url=https://khabar-khair.yic-yemen.net/2021/07/12/the-disappearance-of-the-gunpowder-smell-and-the-sunrise-of-the-al-qamandan-jasmine/ |access-date=18 July 2022 |work=Khabar Khair |date=12 July 2021}}</ref> Lahji jasmine is often considered the best jasmine in Yemen due to its strong, long-lasting fragrance, and jasmine forms a major part of Lahji culture and regional identity.<ref name="Rashad 2021"/>
==Health==
There are 39 healthcare facilities in al-Hawtah, including 4 government-owned and 35 privately-owned.<ref name="UN-Habitat"/>{{rp|54}} The government-owned facilities include 1 each of a public hospital, a maternity and childhood health center, a [[blood bank]], and a health office.<ref name="UN-Habitat"/>{{rp|54}} The privately-owned facilities include 16 clinics and 19 pharmacies.<ref name="UN-Habitat"/>{{rp|54}} A survey as of March 2020 indicated that all 39 facilities were fully functioning (compared to 75% for the governorate as a whole).<ref name="UN-Habitat"/>{{rp|53-4}}
A significant impediment for the healthcare sector in al-Hawtah is lack of funds, partly caused by the weak exchange rate of the [[Yemeni riyal]] to the [[US dollar]].<ref name="UN-Habitat"/>{{rp|54}} There is also a shortage of medical staff because of retirements and low salaries.<ref name="UN-Habitat"/>{{rp|54}} Increases in the general population have also outpaced supply of medicines and other medical supplies, causing a shortage in that area as well.<ref name="UN-Habitat"/>{{rp|54}} The Yemeni civil war has also caused significant damage to health infrastructure, particularly due to frequent [[power outage]]s, and an influx of internally displaced people has also exacerbated ongoing medical shortages.<ref name="UN-Habitat"/>{{rp|54-5}} Many of these IDPs lack have not been [[vaccine|vaccinated]] against common diseases, leading to outbreaks in the city.<ref name="UN-Habitat"/>{{rp|55}} Lack of food security also increased rates of [[malnutrition]].<ref name="UN-Habitat"/>{{rp|55}}
The [[Ibn Khaldun]] Hospital, the main public hospital in Lahj Governorate, was built in al-Hawtah in 1990.<ref name="UN-Habitat"/>{{rp|55}} It has a bed capacity of 250.<ref name="UN-Habitat"/>{{rp|55}} Most internally displaced people at other healthcare facilities get transferred to Ibn Khaldun for treatment.<ref name="UN-Habitat"/>{{rp|55}} Services are generally provided free of charge so the hospital does not generate revenue.<ref name="UN-Habitat"/>{{rp|55}} The Ibn Khaldun Hospital lacks [[air conditioning]] and medical specialists, most of whom have fled the country.<ref name="UN-Habitat"/>{{rp|55}}
In 2015, al-Hawtah's maternity and child health center suffered major damage, which severely impeded access to healthcare for women and children.<ref name="UN-Habitat"/>{{rp|57}} The maternity ward and storage unit were renovated in 2019 under direction of the [[United Nations Development Programme]] and SFD with a funding of US$136,548.<ref name="UN-Habitat"/>{{rp|57}} As of 2020, it was reported as the largest and most-used medical storage facility in the governorate.<ref name="UN-Habitat"/>{{rp|54}}
==Education==
As of 2017-18 school year, al-Hawtah had 1 preschool, 11 primary schools, 2 secondary schools, and 0 combined primary/secondary schools.<ref name="UN-Habitat"/>{{rp|60}} Many of the city's schools are in poor condition due to ongoing conflict and lack of funds for maintenance; some have even been reported as being near collapse.<ref name="UN-Habitat"/>{{rp|60}} They also have poor access to electricity and drinking water.<ref name="UN-Habitat"/>{{rp|58}} There is a shortage of qualified teachers, who are often paid insufficiently and inconsistently.<ref name="UN-Habitat"/>{{rp|58}} In January 2020, al-Hawtah's teachers went on strike in an attempt to get increased wages and monetary reimbursement for time spent working without pay.<ref name="Saif 2020">{{cite news |last1=Saif |first1=Rachid |title=لحج : نقابة المهن التعليمية تعلن اإلضراب الشامل ''[Lahj: Education Professions Union announces mass strike]'' |url=https://almushahid.net/55070/ |access-date=18 July 2022 |work=al-Mushahid |date=9 January 2020 |language=Arabic}}</ref><ref name="UN-Habitat"/>{{rp|58}} Since the outbreak of the civil war, there has been an increase in student enrollment because many internally displaced children came to al-Hawtah, putting further stress on the city's educators.<ref name="UN-Habitat"/>{{rp|58, 60}} Many children also feel physically unsafe going to school.<ref name="UN-Habitat"/>{{rp|58}} Female participation in the education system remains relatively low compared to males, both among students and teachers.<ref name="UN-Habitat"/>{{rp|58}}
The Nasser College of Agricultural Sciences was established in al-Hawtah in 1969 as a joint Yemeni-Egyptian project and quickly became the country's main agricultural institute.<ref name="UN-Habitat"/>{{rp|63}} Its curriculum was initially prepared by members of [[Zagazig University]]'s Faculty of Agricultural Sciences and adapted from Egyptian curriculums to meet local conditions.<ref name="UN-Habitat"/>{{rp|63}} The Nasser College later became one of the three founding members of the [[University of Aden]].<ref name="UN-Habitat"/>{{rp|63}} It started offering graduate programs in 1996.<ref name="UN-Habitat"/>{{rp|63}} By the eve of the Yemeni civil war, the college offered 7 master's programs and 2 doctoral programs.<ref name="UN-Habitat"/>{{rp|63}} In 2015, when the war reached Lahj Governorate, the Nasser College was extensively looted and destroyed.<ref name="UN-Habitat"/>{{rp|63}} All its holdings - including livestock, rare bird species, lab equipment, and tools - were stolen and it was left without [[experiential learning|hands-on]] teaching materials, leaving it only able to offer theoretical instruction.<ref name="UN-Habitat"/>{{rp|58, 63}} By 2020, private homes had been built on what had previously been college grounds.<ref name="UN-Habitat"/>{{rp|63}}
==Transport==
A railway connecting Lahij with [[Aden]] was opened on 11th February 1919 and was extended to Al Khudad opening on 7th January 1920.{{Cn|date=August 2023}} There were two trains per day in each direction carrying passengers and goods. The railway was closed in July 1929.{{Cn|date=August 2023}}
==Climate==
{{Weather box
|width = auto
| location = Lahij
| metric first = Yes
| single line = Yes
Line 140 ⟶ 167:
| Nov low C = 21.8
| Dec low C = 20.3
|precipitation colour =
|Jan precipitation mm = 4
|Feb precipitation mm = 1
|Mar precipitation mm = 3
|Apr precipitation mm = 12
|May precipitation mm = 18
|Jun precipitation mm = 2
|Jul precipitation mm = 19
|Aug precipitation mm = 46
|Sep precipitation mm = 67
|Oct precipitation mm = 20
|Nov precipitation mm = 2
|Dec precipitation mm = 2
|source 1 = Climate-Data.org<ref>{{cite web
|url = https://en.climate-data.org/location/534352/
|title = Climate:
|accessdate = October 30, 2017}}</ref>
}}
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