24 dead in Yemen floods as search goes on: UN

24 dead in Yemen floods as search goes on: UN
by AFP Staff Writers
Dubai (AFP) Aug 29, 2024

At least 24 people have been killed in flash floods in western Yemen, a United Nations agency said on Thursday, as search efforts continued for those still missing.

Landslides triggered by torrential rains crashed through homes and businesses in Al-Mahwit province's Melhan district on Tuesday night burying some of their occupants.

The United Nations Population Fund in Yemen said on social media platform X that there were 24 dead and 17 missing in "devastating floods after rains and three dams burst" in the area controlled by the Huthi rebels.

The UN agency said 1,020 families have been affected and dozens of homes have been destroyed.

An earlier toll issued by the Iran-backed Huthis' Al-Masirah television, citing a local official, said 16 people have been killed in Al-Mahwit, west of the capital Sanaa.

The rebel administration's deputy prime minister Mohammed Miftah, told Al-Masirah that "road closures due to the floods hindered the arrival of rescue teams for several hours".

Al-Masirah made no mention of dam collapses as had been reported by the UN.

The heavy rains that have been falling in highland provinces for a week have also affected neighbouring Hodeida province on the Red Sea coast.

In the government-held town of Hais, Ahmed Suleiman and his children survived, but he told AFP "the floods swept away our homes, our livestock, all our belongings, our blankets, everything we had in the house."

Another resident, Saud Majashi, said "our belongings, our beds, our food... the floods took everything."

The mountains of western Yemen are prone to heavy seasonal rainfall. Since late July, flash flooding has killed 60 people and affected 268,000 across Yemen, according to the United Nations.

"In the coming months, increased rainfall is forecast, with the central highlands, Red Sea coastal areas and portions of the southern uplands expected to receive unprecedented levels in excess of 300 millimetres (12 inches)," the World Health Organization warned on Monday.

Earlier this month, the United Nations warned that $4.9 million was urgently needed to scale up the emergency response to extreme weather in war-torn Yemen.

Climate change is increasing the frequency and intensity of seasonal rains in the Yemeni highlands, much of which are controlled by the Huthi rebels.

A decade of war with the internationally recognised government propped up by a Saudi-led coalition has ravaged healthcare infrastructure and left millions dependent on international aid.