Yemen suffers massive devastation as floods claim over 150 lives, displace thousands

ADEN, Yemen, Sept. 1 (Xinhua) — Severe flooding has hit several provinces of Yemen, leaving more than 150 people dead and thousands more displaced as of Sunday, according to a Yemeni source and a UN agency.
A Houthi health official, who spoke anonymously due to the lack of authorization, put the death toll from heavy rains and floods in Yemen at 152.
According to the official, approximately 40 individuals died from the intense rainfall and the dam burst in the northwestern Al-Mahwit province on Tuesday evening.
The source added that 28 others were killed Friday as a result of flood-related incidents in the Houthi-controlled Dhamar province, western Yemen.
The official noted that the Houthi-held Hodeidah province is the region most impacted by the flooding since the beginning of August, with 84 people reported dead and 25 others injured.
Meanwhile, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has reported that the floods, which began in mid-July, have affected multiple regions across Yemen, with the western and northwestern provinces suffering the most.
The UNHCR said that in the western Malhan district of Al-Mahwit province alone, more than 56,000 homes have been impacted, and over 1,000 families have been forced to flee their residences.
The deadly flooding also caused massive damage to vital infrastructure, with vast tracts of agricultural land submerged and roads blocked.
The natural disaster has further compounded the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Yemen, as the country has already been devastated by a protracted civil war.
The civil war between the Houthis and the internationally recognized government, since its onset in late 2014, has resulted in 4.5 million people internally displaced.
The UNHCR warns that 85 percent of the war-affected households are now unable to meet their basic nutritional requirements.
The country’s infrastructure and healthcare system, undermined by years of civil conflict, have proven woefully inadequate in the face of this natural disaster.
The Yemeni government has issued an urgent appeal for international assistance in preserving and protecting the country’s archaeological heritage from the ravages of the ongoing floods.
On Saturday, Yemeni Minister of Information, Culture and Tourism Muammar Al-Eryani made a formal plea for immediate intervention to safeguard valuable historical sites, particularly those located in areas under the control of the Houthi forces. ■