Barran Press
A recent international report revealed that 240 Yemenis have died and 635 others have been injured due to heavy rains and flooding that struck the country. The report, released by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies on November 14, 2024, highlighted unprecedented rainfall during Yemen's 2024 rainy season, which has resulted in severe flooding, destruction, and displacement.
The report noted that Yemen experienced two main rainy seasons this year: one from April to May and another from July to the end of September. The latter was particularly devastating due to unusual weather patterns and continuous heavy rains throughout the nation.
According to initial assessments by the Yemeni Red Crescent Society, approximately 655,011 people from 93,573 families have been affected by recent flooding, resulting in 240 fatalities and 635 injuries. The report indicated that 20 out of Yemen's 22 provinces have been impacted by the floods, with the most severely affected areas being Saada, Al-Jawf, Hajjah, Marib, Taiz, and Al-Hudaydah.
The United Nations Population Fund reported that around 500,000 people have been displaced due to the floods, which have destroyed many mud houses and displacement tents, as well as numerous water sources and roads, disrupting livelihoods and inundating agricultural land.
The floods have also caused severe damage to livestock, threatened food security, and shifted unexploded ordnance into residential areas, increasing risks for both civilians and humanitarian workers on the ground.
Regarding shelter, the report stated that the floods have significantly damaged living sites for internally displaced persons (IDPs), affecting thousands of families, many of whom have been displaced for years. Recent updates from the National Shelter/NFI Cluster in Yemen indicated that 34,709 shelters were affected, with 12,837 sustaining partial damage and 21,872 destroyed.
The International Organization for Migration in Marib reported that the floods damaged vital infrastructure, including electrical systems, leading to power outages that hindered healthcare delivery. The situation is particularly dire in camps and IDP sites, where shelter destruction and contaminated water sources have created a health emergency, exacerbating challenges for displaced populations.
In terms of health, data from the Ministry of Health, released on September 7, 2024, indicated over 186,000 suspected cases of acute watery diarrhea/cholera across all 22 provinces since mid-March, with more than 680 related deaths. The highest infection rates were reported in western highland provinces, with hotspots identified in Al-Dhale'e, Al-Bayda, Al-Hudaydah, Al-Jawf, Amran, Hajjah, Marib, and Raymah.
The report anticipates that the disease outbreak will continue over the next six months, placing internally displaced families at risk of further transmission. At its peak, daily reports indicated between 1,050 and 1,800 new cases.
Additionally, the floods have damaged healthcare facilities, with the latest updates revealing that 126 health facilities have been affected, with varying levels of damage.
As the rainy season concludes, the international report suggests that Yemen will face a transition to a drier period with scarce water resources, posing further challenges to the agricultural sector and threatening food security for affected populations.