Barran Press
The Director General of the Marib governorate's (northeastern Yemen) Sanitation and Beautification Office, and a member of the emergency committee, Mohammed Ahmed Atiya, stated on Sunday, August 11, 2024, that the committee is in a continuous meeting to address the heavy rains and storms that have been affecting the governorate since Sunday morning.
Atiya told "Barran Press" that the heavy rains caused significant damage to displaced persons camps, prompting the governor and member of the Presidential Leadership Council, Sultan Al-Arada, to convene the emergency committee, which includes relevant authorities.
The emergency committee member for flood mitigation in Marib indicated that Al-Arada instructed the committee to immediately conduct a field assessment to document and assess the damage, particularly in displaced persons camps and residential areas.
Atiya explained that the subcommittees formed under the emergency committee are still in the process of assessing and addressing the damage, including restoring services like electricity, sanitation, and road repairs.
He stated that Al-Arada is closely monitoring the situation and has personally visited some camps and affected areas, directing the provision of urgent aid to displaced persons.
The sanitation office director highlighted the office's emergency preparedness, including the deployment of equipment and personnel who are working around the clock to clear drainage channels to prevent flooding and remove debris from the streets.
Regarding the damage caused by the rains in the streets of Marib city, Atiya mentioned that numerous ornamental trees and streetlights were damaged.
He noted that the weather conditions in the governorate remain unstable, with intense thunderstorms occurring in various parts of the Marib city district, indicating the continuation of storms and potential flooding.
In light of this, the sanitation office director renewed the call for various organizations, supporting entities, and businesspeople to provide support to the emergency committee to ensure aid reaches displaced persons and affected residents.
On Sunday, Marib governorate experienced heavy rains, and strong thunderstorms, accompanied by wind, hail, and lightning, lasting for several hours, causing significant damage to displaced persons camps and public services.
Earlier in the day, during a visit to affected displaced persons' camps, a member of the Presidential Leadership Council, Sultan Al-Arada, instructed the rapid provision of basic and essential needs for displaced persons, including shelter and food.
Al-Arada emphasized the need for swift repairs to public services, particularly electricity, and the attention to the needs of families temporarily housed in schools during the rains and storms.
He also directed the emergency committees under the local authority to work diligently in their respective fields to protect displaced persons in camps and citizens in residential areas, providing all necessary care and attention.
He stressed the importance of completing the assessment of damage and submitting comprehensive reports on urgent and essential needs to address them promptly and alleviate the suffering of those affected.
Meanwhile, the Executive Unit for Managing Displaced Persons' Camps in the governorate revealed preliminary statistics on the losses caused by the heavy rains in the past few hours, affecting displaced persons, and resulting in the death and injury of 14 displaced individuals.
The Executive Unit, in its preliminary statistics, which the Yemen News Agency (Saba) received a copy of, stated that the heavy rains, thunderstorms, and strong winds experienced in the governorate caused the death of four displaced persons and injured 10 others, including children and women.
It indicated that the floods caused by the heavy rains flowed heavily into displaced persons' camps, damaging the shelters of 7,179 displaced families, including 2,973 shelters completely damaged and 4,206 partially damaged in several camps across the governorate.