Devastating Floods in Northern Yemen: 33 Dead, 200 Houses Damaged

Floods in Yemen's Al-Mahwit province have killed 33 people, damaged over 200 houses, and left 38 people missing, compounding the woes of a nation already suffering from civil war.

Floods that swept through northern Yemen's Al-Mahwit province this week have claimed at least 33 lives and damaged more than 200 houses, according to a local official.

The heavy rains started on Tuesday as part of Yemen's monsoon season, causing severe flooding and rockslides in the Melhan district. The floods destroyed 28 houses and caused structural damage to 200 others, said Ali al-Zikam, secretary-general of Al-Mahwit's local council, in a Facebook post late Wednesday. Additionally, five vehicles were swept away, and several people remain missing, he added.

Yemen's Red Crescent announced on Thursday that 38 individuals are still unaccounted for, with active search efforts underway. “The magnitude of the disaster in Al-Mahwit is substantial,” reported the agency. Concurrently, ongoing civil war has already devastated Yemen since 2014, and the latest flood impacts have added to the misery, affecting over 33,000 families across the nation since the monsoon season began in mid-July. On Wednesday, the Houthis reported 86 fatalities due to flooding in Hodeida, Reema, and Hajjah provinces.