JIZAN: The crisis over demolition of expropriated buildings in Jizan’s Al-Aishaima district escalated yesterday when a number of residents tried to obstruct bulldozers from doing the work.

The municipality has called for more security forces to disperse the protesters. A 30-year-old man among the protesters fainted and was taken to hospital by the Red Crescent.

Men, women and children stood in front of their homes in order to prevent the bulldozers from demolishing them. So far, a total of 30 houses have been demolished. Many men and women were seen scavenging for valuables, including household items, clothing and metal, in the debris.

Capt. Ahmed Al-Wadaani, a spokesman for the Jizan police, confirmed that there were objections to demolishing houses in the residential quarter and that force had been used to disperse protesters in order to allow the municipality to continue with the work.

Al-Wadaani said those who had objections should have approached the concerned authorities, instead of obstructing the work.

The demolition of houses in the district has made many families homeless. Hussein Salim, a father of six girls, said the condition of his family was awful, as they had to spend the day and night under palm trees.

“We don’t have enough money to rent a flat,” Salim told Arab News. He hoped that the National Society for Human Rights would intervene and take up their case with the authorities in order to end their suffering.

The citizens who fought the municipality’s decision said they had refused the financial compensation and a piece of land in an area that lacks utility services and basic infrastructure.

“The cost of the foundation alone is four times the amount of the compensation,” said one of the protesters.

Speaking to Arab News, Abdullah Hassan Aqeeli said he had been offered SR40,000, which he refused because it was not enough compensation for his demolished house.

Official documents supported Aqeeli’s claim that his house had been valued at much more than SR40,000 by the municipality. He said the electricity supply to the house had been cut off well before the demolition. Aqeeli said he supports a family of 11.

Jama’an Alous said all the objections were over inadequate compensation. “The amount they are paying is not enough to cover a year’s rent, let alone building a room or two in a swampland that has no services at all,” he said, adding that he would need SR500,000 to build a house in the location.

Many people who were living in the area have not received any compensation at all. Aysha Muhammad said she was still awaiting payment of SR28,000. “They disconnected the power forcing me to move out. Now I live with my grandchildren,” she said.

Adel Sayegh said he received only SR60,000 though he was promised a total compensation of SR220,000. Abdu Muhammad Farsani said he received only half of the SR500,000 he was promised.

Another citizen said he had spent about SR1 million building his villa and the compensation offered to him was only SR700,000. “This is an outright injustice,” he said, suggesting that citizens must be given apartments to live in, instead of paltry amounts of money.

He said the block of land offered to the low-income residents whose houses were expropriated and demolished is on the Red Sea coast and needs huge amounts in order to be prepared for building.

Arab News has been attempting to contact Jizan Mayor Abdullah Al-Qarni since Saturday to get his reaction, but so far all efforts have been in vain.