20 people dead, 1 000 displaced as persistent heavy rains hit Yemen

Persistent heavy rains across Yemen have killed at least 20 people, displaced thousands, and destroyed hundreds of properties, local government official reported Tuesday, August 4, 2020.

In Marib, the hardest-hit province, the health ministry said 17 people– including eight children– lost their lives as a result of the violent weather during the past few days.

In Hamdan, Sana'a Governorate, three people died and two others were injured when a building collapsed amid heavy downpour.

Other areas badly hit were Rawdha, Al-Jawba, Hareb, and Al-Wadi.

Hospitals were put on heightened alert status as more fatalities were expected. Rainstorms continued to batter residential areas and farms, affecting people and livestock.

On Tuesday, locals told Arab News that flooding from the swollen Marib dam left several camps stranded, which were homes to internally displaced people in Rawdha. The people were besieged amid a shortage of medical supplies, food, and shelter.

Featured image credit: UN Refugee Agency in Yemen