A total of 125 people were killed and at least 20 people are still missing in August due to heavy rains and resulting floods and landslides in two provinces of Yemen, a country affected by civil war in the Middle East. In a statement yesterday, this information was confirmed by the ruling Houthi rebel group in the western part of the country. The two affected provinces are Al Hudaydah and Al Mahwit. The emergency committee of the Houthi-led administration in Al Hudaydah reported that 95 people were killed and 14 injured in heavy rains, floods and landslides in various areas of the province from the beginning to the end of last August. Among them, at least 11 people lost their lives in different areas of the province in the last three days.
Houthi-based Masirah TV reported that floods and landslides in the past month have partially or completely damaged thousands of homes in Al Hudaydah, destroyed thousands of acres of crops and destroyed road communication networks in many areas. Al Mahwi, a neighboring province of Al Hudaydah, also suffered extensive damage due to floods and rain-related disasters. Masirah TV reported that 30 people were killed in the province last August and at least 20 people are still missing. Masirah TV reported that the flood caused extensive infrastructure damage in this province, as in Al Hudaydah.
Meanwhile, cholera increased due to floods. Suspected cholera patients in at least one clinic in western Yemen have raised concerns of an outbreak due to heavy rains. Heavy rains in Yemen have caused flooding, fueling the spread of waterborne diseases, authorities said. Floods hit al-Mahwi, a province west of the capital Sanaa, controlled by the Iran-linked Houthi group, with landslides destroying seven homes in Milhan district, police said.
The mountains of western Yemen are vulnerable to heavy monsoon rains. Since late July, flash floods have killed 60 people and affected 268,000, according to the United Nations. The western and central provinces have been warned of further deterioration.
A major outbreak concern has arisen from contaminated water caused by rain and flooding. At a clinic in the city of Hais, women and children were attached to intravenous drips to combat diarrhoea, which doctors said was a symptom of cholera, news agency AFP reported. Bakil al-Hadrami, a doctor at the diarrhea treatment center, told the agency, "The influx of patients has increased due to floods and rains in Hais."
"Overburdening staff on duty" and services could break down "at any moment", he added. Abdullah Al-Shamairi is one of many who fear that his entire family may now have cholera after his son tested positive. A clinic in western Yemen has been inundated with suspected cholera patients after heavy rains and floods raised fears of a widespread outbreak in the impoverished and war-torn country. According to the United Nations, there are about 164,000 suspected cholera cases in Yemen, which could rise to 250,000 in the coming weeks.
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) said in a recent report that the risk of cholera has increased due to flooding. The UN said earlier this month that $4.9 million was needed for the emergency response to the floods. Climate change is increasing the frequency and intensity of monsoon rains in the highlands of Yemen. Decades of war have destroyed medical infrastructure and left millions dependent on international aid, with Yemen continuing to face one of the world's worst humanitarian crises. According to the IOM, there were 2.5 million suspected cases in the country during the last cholera outbreak from 2016 to 2022.
Incidentally, due to heavy rains, flash floods have started in different parts of Yemen since last July. According to the United Nations, more than 250,000 people have been displaced in the country from last July to August due to flash floods.
ZH
