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Yemen: Heavy rains destroy 111 homes in Sanaa

Dozens of people have died over the past few weeks due to heavy rain and floods across Yemen

August 10, 2020 at 10:02 am

The Yemeni National Commission for Education, Culture and Science said 111 homes had been destroyed due to heavy rain and floods in the old city of Sanaa over the past weeks.

In a statement issued on Saturday, the committee called on UNESCO to “immediately intervene and save the buildings in Sanaa Old City which are on the World Heritage List, from collapse and destruction and to address the severe damage caused to them by rain and floods.”

The statement noted that while some of the buildings were partially destroyed, others were totally destroyed without giving further details if the buildings are historical buildings or modern ones.

The statement also called for “the necessity for a rapid and urgent response to prevent a major catastrophe.”

Earlier, a Yemeni official from the Organisation for the Preservation of Historic Cities of Yemen (GOPHCY) said that 5,000 buildings in the Old City of Sanaa, which is under Houthi control, are at risk of collapse.

Dozens of people have died over the past few weeks due to heavy rain and floods across Yemen. The rain has also destroyed thousands of homes and displaced their residents.

READ: Rights groups call for aid for flood-stricken Yemen