Hodeidah, Yemen - Flash floods caused by heavy rains have claimed lives and damaged infrastructure in Hodeidah Governorate (western Yemen) on Saturday, August 17, 2024, according to local sources.

Sources told "Barran Press" that the raging floodwaters of the "Aji" valley cut off the Al-Husayna road in Hodeidah Governorate, sweeping away a "Sha's" type car and a truck as they attempted to cross. The car driver was confirmed dead, while the truck driver's fate remains unknown.

The sources added that the floods caused the collapse of a vital bridge in Beit al-Faqih district, which was 50 years old. A mosque and homes in the Kilo 16 area of Hodeidah city were also damaged.

Last Thursday, "Barran Press" published forecasts of heavy to very heavy rainfall, potentially leading to flooding, in Hodeidah, Hajjah, Remah, and Al-Mahwit governorates on Friday and Saturday.

Last week, the Tihama Plain (western Yemen), encompassing Hodeidah Governorate and parts of Taiz and other governorates, experienced heavy rains and flooding, resulting in significant casualties and property damage. Relief efforts and assistance to the affected population have been inadequate, and there is a lack of comprehensive statistics to assess the scale of the disaster.

The internationally recognized Yemeni government has issued appeals for aid to the residents of the Tihama coastal region (western Yemen), which suffered heavy casualties and property damage due to the floods that followed more than 10 hours of heavy rainfall.

Estimates indicate at least 45 deaths, over 100 missing individuals with whom communication has been lost, and more than 500 destroyed homes. Thousands of families have been displaced after their homes were damaged or out of fear of renewed rainfall.

Yemen suffers from severe infrastructure weakness, exacerbating the impact of the floods and adding to the misery of the population already struggling with fragile basic services due to the ongoing civil war, which began almost 10 years ago.