Rescue workers in northern Yemen have recovered the bodies of 13 people who went missing after a flash flood inundated a village, authorities said Wednesday. The devastating monsoon floods, which have torn through the region since mid-July, have claimed the lives of at least 99 people according to officials.
The current monsoon season in Yemen has been particularly deadly. Experts suggest that the war-torn nation is increasingly vulnerable to severe weather events exacerbated by climate change.
Al-Masirah TV channel, operated by the Houthi rebels who control the country’s north, reported that the 13 bodies were recovered in the Melhan district of Al-Mahwit province. A child was rescued, but 20 other individuals remain missing, raising concerns about further casualties.
Yemen, already the poorest nation in the Arab world before its civil war began in 2014, has been ravaged by ongoing conflict. The war started when Houthi forces took control of the capital, Sanaa, and much of the north, forcing the internationally recognized government to flee.
In a statement on Wednesday, the Houthis said that 86 people had lost their lives due to flooding in Hodeida, Reema, and Hajjah provinces since the monsoon season commenced. The statement, issued after a meeting chaired by the prime minister to address the emergency response, indicated that approximately 33,000 families have been affected by the floods.
The Yemeni Red Crescent had projected that while the country would experience less overall precipitation this year, flooding events during the monsoon season would be more severe. The rainy season, beginning in late March, intensifies from July through mid-August.
The World Health Organization warned this week that Yemenis are suffering “disproportionately from climate change due to their already undermined capacities, limited resources, and fragile infrastructure.” It cautioned that more heavy rains are expected in the coming weeks, potentially exacerbating the humanitarian crisis.
The ongoing conflict complicates efforts to ascertain the true toll of the floods. A Saudi-led coalition entered the war in 2015 in an effort to restore the internationally recognized government. The war has killed more than 150,000 people, including civilians and combatants, and has resulted in one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises.
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
