Barran Press
Marib, Yemen: Heavy rains and thunderstorms have wreaked havoc in the Yemeni governorate of Marib, displacing over 7,000 families and causing significant damage to displacement camps and public services.
The Executive Unit for the Management of Displacement Camps in Marib reported on Sunday evening, August 11, 2024, that over 7,000 families had been affected by the severe weather event, which struck the governorate earlier that day.
The storms, which included heavy rains, strong winds, hail, and lightning, lasted for several hours, causing extensive damage. According to an initial report obtained by "Barran Press," 2,973 families suffered complete damage, while 4,206 families experienced partial damage in the districts of Marib City, Al-Wadi, and Rghwan.
Earlier in the day, medical sources told "Barran Press" that the storms had resulted in the deaths of three citizens and injuries to ten others, who were transported to various hospitals for treatment.
The emergency room at Marib General Hospital alone reported one fatality and three injured individuals. Among the deceased was "Haydar Ahmed Al-Hadad," who was killed when a wall collapsed on him due to the storms.
Local sources reported that the heavy rains and storms caused a complete power outage in Marib City, as power lines were severely damaged. Forecasts predict further heavy thunderstorms in Marib over the next 48 hours.
Marib Governorate Deputy, Abdulربه مفتاح, stated that emergency committees had been deployed to conduct rescue operations and repair damage to public services.
In a press statement, مفتاح said that the emergency committees had been activated immediately after the onset of the storms to implement the pre-prepared disaster response plan.
He added that civil defense teams and security forces had been deployed to assist with rescue and evacuation efforts, relocating affected families in camps to designated schools for temporary shelter.
The Deputy Governor further stated that public works and roads teams, as well as the sanitation and beautification fund, were continuously operating their equipment to create water barriers to protect residential areas and camps from accumulating rainwater.
He noted that damage assessment committees and teams responsible for assisting affected families had begun their work after the initial wave of storms subsided in the early hours of the morning.
مفتاح indicated that these committees would submit their reports to the emergency committee later that evening. Meanwhile, electricity emergency committees continue to repair damaged power lines in an effort to restore electricity to camps and residential areas that have been cut off.
He emphasized that the preventative measures taken by the emergency committee prior to the storms, such as clearing channels for floodwaters that threatened residential areas, had significantly mitigated damage and averted a major disaster that could have impacted the city.