Yemen floods leave 12 dead, 21 missing

Shafaq News/ Flash floods triggered by torrential rainfall have killed at least 12 people and left more than 20 others missing in Houthi-held areas of Yemen, the Houthi-run Al-Masirah television reported on Wednesday.

The overnight floods in al-Mahwit, a province west of the capital Sanaa ruled by the Iran-backed Houthis, triggered landslides that swept through several homes, according to al-Masirah.

Twelve bodies were retrieved in the province’s Melhan district, and at least 21 people remain missing, al-Masirah said, citing civil defense teams.

Houthi authorities said they have formed a committee tasked with coordinating disaster response, and have started to provide food and shelter to affected families, according to a statement carried by Houthi media.

The mountains of western Yemen are prone to heavy seasonal rainfall. Since late July, flash flooding has killed 60 people and affected 268,000 across Yemen, according to the United Nations.

Western and central provinces have been warned of worse to come.

“In the coming months, increased rainfall is forecast, with the central highlands, Red Sea coastal areas, and portions of the southern uplands expected to receive unprecedented levels in excess of 300 millimeters (12 inches),” the World Health Organization warned on Monday.

Earlier this month, the United Nations warned that $4.9 million was urgently needed to scale up the emergency response to extreme weather in war-torn Yemen.

Climate change is increasing the frequency and intensity of seasonal rains in the Yemeni highlands, much of which are controlled by the Houthis.