At least 24 people have died in western Yemen, with 17 others reported missing due to flooding caused by heavy rains, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) announced on Thursday as search efforts continue.
The torrential rains that have affected western Yemen for the past week have caused significant damage in this impoverished region and in the neighboring governorate of Hodeida along the Red Sea.
Landslides devastated homes and businesses in the Melhan district of Al-Mahwit province on Tuesday night, burying some occupants. The UNFPA reported a total of 24 fatalities and 17 individuals missing as a result of “devastating floods following rainfall and the breaching of three dams.”
According to the UN agency, 1,020 families have been impacted, and dozens of houses were destroyed. An earlier report indicated 16 deaths in Al-Mahwit province, located west of the capital, Sana’a.
The mountainous regions of western Yemen are susceptible to heavy seasonal rains. Since the end of July, torrential downpours have resulted in approximately 60 deaths and affected 268,000 people in Yemen, the poorest country on the Arabian Peninsula, according to the United Nations.
Further intense rainfall is anticipated in the coming months across central and western regions of the country. The World Health Organization (WHO) warned on Monday that “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 millimeters .”
