Yemen: Flood disaster in Aden and Lahj... Casualties, collapsed roads, and submerged camps

Arab Sea Newspaper - Follow-ups

Arab Sea - Yemen - Follow-ups: Torrential floods swept through Al-Wahatt areas in Lahj Governorate, and the Bir Ahmed and Al-Haswa areas in the temporary capital, Aden, on Saturday, following heavy rains that flowed from the northern highlands. Local sources said that a car carrying seven people was swept away by the floods in the Al-Haswa area, where a number of them were rescued, while the fate of the rest is still unknown. In Lahj Governorate, local sources confirmed that the floods caused a partial collapse of the Al-Arais Bridge in the Al-And area, leading to the road being cut off and traffic temporarily disrupted, and also caused partial damage to agricultural lands, homes and properties. In a separate incident, the international road linking Taiz, Al-Qubaytah and Lahj, at Naqil Dhamran, was subjected to a rockslide due to rain, which led to the road being out of service and traffic disrupted. In the Radfan area of Lahj Governorate, floods swept away a car carrying six people, where citizens were able to rescue five of them, while one person died, according to "Al-Masdar Online." In the same context, the local water and sanitation corporation in Aden announced the suspension of water supply from the Bir Ahmed field, after the main transmission line with a diameter of (24 inches) was severely damaged due to the torrential floods. The corporation explained that the damage affected a part of the line connecting the cities of Al-Shaab and Al-Haswa, which led to the suspension of water supplies to a number of areas in the temporary capital, Aden, according to "Al-Masdar Online." For its part, the Geological Survey and Mineral Resources Authority warned that these floods represent an early warning of the possibility of larger disasters in the future, especially in the Al-Haswa area in Al-Buraiqa District, west of the temporary capital, Aden. It explained that the disasters will come as a result of the spread of random construction inside the large valley's boundary, which impedes natural flood channels and doubles the risks to residents and their properties. For his part, President Rashad Al-Alimi made a call to Prime Minister Salem bin Brik to review the government's efforts to confront the damage caused by the floods and rains that struck Aden and a number of governorates, praising the measures taken and stressing the importance of developing early warning capabilities and adapting to climate changes. Al-Alimi also reviewed a report on the financial and monetary reforms and policies that enhanced currency improvement and price stability, stressing the continuation of the implementation of the economic recovery plan and the promotion of harmony between state institutions.