Yemen floods after storm
Citizens flee mud homes
Nathan St. Clair
Issue date: 10/29/08 Section: News
Flooding on the southeast coast of Yemen has left an estimated 49 people dead and approximately 20,000 homeless.
The flooding is a result of a severe tropical storm that slammed into the Yemen coast on Thursday, Oct. 23.
The storm, which formed in the Indian Ocean, has been especially devastating because many of the buildings in Yemen are constructed with mud bricks.
More the 730 houses were destroyed according to SABA, the Yemeni news agency.
Rescue efforts have been difficult because many of the roads leading in and out of the cities are impassable or washed-out.
"According to initial reports, roads and bridges have been damaged and highways wither in the Valley or Coast districts in the governorate have been blocked," said Yemen president Ali Abdullah Saleh.
This made it difficult to deliver the necessary supplies that people will need in the next several days.
On Saturday six soldiers died while attempting to rescue residents from the flooded areas.
The Hadramaut and Mahara provinces, which were hit the hardest, were declared disaster zones.
Some residents think the their local government is to blame for the loss of life and catastrophic effects.
"Local officials authorized the building of houses on the flood plain," said Karam Basalamah. "Now waters are diverted into the town, get trapped inside houses and cause them to collapse."
However, the Yemen government has taken steps to deliver aid materials to the people in the flooded provinces.
Six planes took off from Sanaa, the capital of Yemen, on Saturday to deliver tents, food and medicine to the Hadramaut' capital city Al-Mukalla.
Secretary General of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu called on the international community help those affected by the disaster.
Countries like the United Arab Emirates have said that they plan to help the flood-ravaged country.
The flooding is a result of a severe tropical storm that slammed into the Yemen coast on Thursday, Oct. 23.
The storm, which formed in the Indian Ocean, has been especially devastating because many of the buildings in Yemen are constructed with mud bricks.
More the 730 houses were destroyed according to SABA, the Yemeni news agency.
Rescue efforts have been difficult because many of the roads leading in and out of the cities are impassable or washed-out.
"According to initial reports, roads and bridges have been damaged and highways wither in the Valley or Coast districts in the governorate have been blocked," said Yemen president Ali Abdullah Saleh.
This made it difficult to deliver the necessary supplies that people will need in the next several days.
On Saturday six soldiers died while attempting to rescue residents from the flooded areas.
The Hadramaut and Mahara provinces, which were hit the hardest, were declared disaster zones.
Some residents think the their local government is to blame for the loss of life and catastrophic effects.
"Local officials authorized the building of houses on the flood plain," said Karam Basalamah. "Now waters are diverted into the town, get trapped inside houses and cause them to collapse."
However, the Yemen government has taken steps to deliver aid materials to the people in the flooded provinces.
Six planes took off from Sanaa, the capital of Yemen, on Saturday to deliver tents, food and medicine to the Hadramaut' capital city Al-Mukalla.
Secretary General of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu called on the international community help those affected by the disaster.
Countries like the United Arab Emirates have said that they plan to help the flood-ravaged country.
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