DUBAI: Flash floods in rebel hits district of Yemen have killed at least 16 people, rebel media reported Thursday, as search continued to locate others still missing.
Civil defence teams found the bodies of 16 of the 38 people missing in Al-Mahwit province, the Houthi rebels’ Al-Masirah television reported, quoting a local official.
Landslides triggered by heavy rains had destroyed homes and businesses in the province’s Melhan district on Tuesday night burying many.
The local administration’s deputy prime minister Mohammed Miftah, told Al-Masirah that closure of roads because of the floods hindered the arrival of rescue teams for several hours. The torrential rains have also affected neighbouring Hodeida province on the Red Sea coast.
Ahmed Suleiman, a survival in the government-held town of Hais, told western media that the floods swept away his home, livestock, belongings and everything he had in the house.
Another resident, Saud Majashi, said “our belongings, our beds, our food… the floods took everything.”
The mountains of western Yemen are prone to heavy rainfall. According to the United Nations since late July, flash flooding has killed 60 people and affected 268,000 across Yemen.
The World Health Organization has warned about more rainfall in the coming months, and areas of the southern uplands in Yemen are expected to receive unprecedented levels in excess of 300 millimetres.
The United Nations, earlier this month, said that US $4.9 million was urgently required to scale up the emergency response to extreme weather in war-hit Yemen.
Climate change is increasing frequently in the highlands of Yemen, much of which are under the control of Houthi rebels.
A decade of war with the internationally recognized government has affected healthcare infrastructure and left millions dependent on international aid.
