Catastrophic floods in Yemen claim over 45 lives, destroy thousands of homes, farms, and properties

A devastating flood swept through Yemen’s Hodeida Governorate on Tuesday, August 6, 2024, killing more than 30 people and causing heavy damage to infrastructure, including major hospitals. The floods, which struck as part of ongoing seasonal rains, have displaced thousands of people and left many areas without power.

Heavy rainfall caused severe flooding across Yemen’s Hodeida Governorate, including the city of Hodeida, on Tuesday night. The deluge, part of Yemen’s ongoing seasonal rains, intensified overnight, leading to widespread damage and displacing thousands of residents.

The floods inundated streets, homes, and infrastructure, causing significant disruptions to public services and road closures. Power outages were reported across the governorate, with some areas experiencing complete or partial blackouts.

“Thousands of homes, farms, and properties were destroyed and damaged,” UNFPA Yemen reported. “Roads were destroyed and humanitarian access to those affected was obstructed.”

Local authorities reported 30 fatalities and 5 missing persons due to the flooding in the southern city of Hodeida, though these figures are not yet final.

In the Maqbnah district of Taiz governorate, floods killed 15 people on August 2, destroyed agricultural lands, and damaged homes and infrastructure.

The flooding also caused severe damage to infrastructure, including health facilities. Bajil Hospital and health centers in the Al-Marawa’ah, Al-Zaydiyah, and Al-Zuhra districts were inundated, and the Tuberculosis Centre suffered extensive damage, destroying all equipment and medications. Al-Thawrah Hospital, a major referral hospital in the area, sustained damage to several departments but remains operational.

The UN Population Fund-Yemen reported that the floods have impacted over 28 000 people in Hajjah City.

Flooding has increased the risk of waterborne diseases due to contaminated water and poor sanitation conditions. Stagnant water left by the floods has created a breeding ground for mosquitoes, raising concerns about potential outbreaks of malaria and dengue fever.

Residents in the Al-Mansuriyah district have been stranded since Tuesday night due to blocked roads, with local authorities unable to reach severely affected areas for two days.

Many residents in Tihamah were forced to leave their homes and head to Hodeida City, while others remained trapped under deteriorating conditions. “We have been left stranded in the rain after severe winds damaged our home,” said Ahmed Ayesh.

“I can say that hundreds of houses built from straw in Tihamah have been swept away by the floods over the past 24 hours,” said Faree Hamdan another resident, cattle and livestock in those areas were also swept away he added.

The WHO responded to the crisis by dispatching emergency health kits and medical supplies to Hodeida.

References:

¹ Severe flooding hits Yemen’s Hodeida governorate – ReliefWeb – August 8, 2024

² Flooding in Yemen has left 30 people dead and hundreds displaced, official says – AP – August 8, 2024

Rishav Kothari

I am an Assistant Editor and Severe Weather & Science Journalist at The Watchers, specializing in real-time severe weather coverage, geophysical event reporting, and research-driven scientific analysis. You can reach me at rishav(at)watchers(.)news.

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