Yemen appeals for help as thousands affected by heavy rainfalls

SANAA, Yemen

The Yemeni government on Saturday called on the United Nations and humanitarian organizations to provide help amid heavy rainfalls in the war-torn country.

Local authorities said more than 9,000 displaced families were affected by heavy rains that struck the central Marib province in recent days.

In a statement, the Executive Unit for IDPs Camps Management appealed to the UN and humanitarian organizations “to urgently intervene to aid those affected and provide their basic needs of foodstuffs and accommodation.”

Marib hosts nearly two million refugees living in 197 camps and gatherings, with most of them living in tents and old makeshift shelters, according to government figures.

Yemen has been engulfed by violence and instability since 2014, when Iranian-aligned Houthi rebels captured much of the country, including the capital, Sanaa.

According to UN figures till December 2021, 377,000 Yemenis lost their lives in the conflict in Yemen.

*Writing by Ahmed Asmar