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Yemen: Flash floods Flash Update No. 1 As of 11 June 2019 [EN/AR]

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Йемен
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OCHA
Дата публикации

HIGHLIGHTS

• Heavy rains and flooding have affected close to 70,000 people, including internally displaced people, in over 10 governorates; worst affected is Hajjah.

• Rains intensified in recent weeks leading to a sharp increase in the number of families affected by flash floods and in damage to infrastructure.

• Concerns that floods may escalate the spread of disease across the country; 293 out of Yemen’s 333 districts are already choleraaffected.

• Casualties have been reported, including deaths, numbers are yet to be confirmed.

• Emergency response has been mounted to provide urgently needed humanitarian assistance to people in need.

70K affected people

>10 over governorates affected

293 districts cholera-affected

SITUATION UPDATE

Torrential rain and flash flooding in recent weeks, culminating in widespread flooding in the second week of June, have affected thousands of families across Yemen. It is estimated that rains and floods have affected close to 70,000 people, including internally displaced people, in over 10 governorates. Hajjah Governorate is the most affected Governorate.

As of 10 June, the Executive Unit for IDPs rapid assessment identified more than 3,000 displaced families (18,000 people) in Aden, Lahj, Taizz and Hadramaut affected by heavy rain and flooding between 7 and 9 June. Approximately 1,321 displaced families (about 8,000 people) have been affected in 12 areas of Aden City. The rains have also affected 1,385 displaced families (8,310 people) in four sites in Tuban District in Lahj Governorate, 315 families (1,890 people) at five sites in Ash Shamayatayn and Al Maafer districts in Taizz, 149 families (894 people) in several sites in As Shihir, Al Mukalla and Al Abr districts in Hadramaut, and 243 families (about 1,500 people) in IDP settlements in Al Qods village, Khanfir District in Abyan.

Authorities in Al Dhale’e, Al Mahara and Socotra governorates reported no significant impact but the Governor’s office in Shabwah confirmed that some roads have been temporarily cut off by flash flooding. In Aden, IOM reports that the 22 May Stadium, where about 3,000 migrants are detained, is flooded In the northern governorates, continuous heavy rain over the past weeks intensified, leading to a surge in the number of families affected by flash flooding. Authorities in Sana’a report that over 8,300 families (about 50,000 people) have been left destitute and in urgent need of emergency shelter, food and non-food items (NFIs) in six governorates: Ibb, Al Bayda,
Al Jawf, Hajjah, Dhamar, and Raymah. Humanitarian partners are verifying these numbers.
In Hajjah Governorate, the authorities report that over 8,000 families (almost 48,000 people) have been affected.

Information from partners on the ground indicates that over 500 host families (1,500 people) and 3,200 displaced families (19,200 people) have been affected in the two districts of Abs and Khayran Al Muharak. However, partners were not allowed to assess the situation in 30 out of 68 identified sites in the two districts due to lack of access authorization.

The flooding led to multiple displacements. In particular, Abs District has the highest number of IDPs in Hajjah and flash flooding has inevitably left many families displaced yet another time. In Kushar District, initial assessments indicate that farms have been washed away in several areas. Local authorities in Hajjah report that four or five additional districts have also been affected by heavy rains and floods.

There are concerns that flash flooding could escalate the spread of cholera across the country. Already Yemen is experiencing a rise in cholera, with 364,000 suspected cases reported in 293 out of 333 districts in all governorates since the beginning of this year.

Casualties have also been reported. Field reports indicate that three IDPs were killed on 9 June when the roof of their shelters collapsed during heavy rains in in Al Taizyiah District. On 26 May, four children were reported killed by flash flooding that washed away the car in which they were travelling in the Mahliyah valley in Marib. Overall casualty numbers have yet to be confirmed.

HUMANITARIAN RESPONSE

Humanitarian partners are conducting assessments and scaling up the response, despite access constraints in many of the affected areas. Preliminary information indicates that critical immediate needs are shelter, food, NFIs and cash assistance.

The Shelter/Camp Management and Camp Coordination Management (CCCM)/NFI Cluster together with UNHCR, DRC and a local partner, and the authorities mobilized assessments in IDP hosting sites in Aden and Lahj. Initial findings confirm that the recent heavy rains and strong winds damaged shelters, clinics, child friendly spaces and classrooms, and spoiled stocks of food rations and hygiene kits, and flooded WASH facilities. The Shelter/CCCM/NFI Cluster partners provided 1,205 families in Aden and Lahj with tents and non-food items (bedding materials and jerrycans).

The King Salman Relief Centre made available 300 tents, 1,800 blankets, 600 mats, and 300 food baskets to cover the needs of up to 1,800 persons in Aden and Lahj for a month. On 10 June, the first humanitarian assistance plane from King Salman Relief Centre arrived in Aden carrying NFIs for flood-affected people. The Emirates Red Crescent (ERC) reportedly dispatched 50 tents, 100 food baskets and 1,000 tarpaulins to the Al Rebat IDP site in Lahj and 243 food baskets and 486 plastic sheets for residents of Al Qods IDP site in Abyan.

The ERC is supporting the removal of stagnant water in Aden city, particularly in the Crater area, while IOM supported the removal of stagnant water from the grounds of the 22 May Stadium where the situation has returned to normal.

On 9 June, Prime Minister Ma'een Abdul Malik inspected several districts in Aden and promised government support for emergency repairs to damaged infrastructure. The National Malaria Control Programme, supported by UNICEF and WHO, plans to launch a pesticide spray campaign to control the spread of mosquitoes.

There has been no response in Hadramaut yet, where the impact is reported to be localized and small scale.

On 12 June, OCHA will facilitate an Inter-Cluster Working Group in Aden to review the findings of all assessments and identify response gaps and the additional support required.

In Hajjah, needs assessments are underway in IDP sites in Abs, Mabyan, Aslem and Khayran Al Muharaq districts. In Abs and Khayran Al Muharak districts, 176 IDP families were provided with emergency shelter kits and 284 families received NFIs.

UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs: To learn more about OCHA's activities, please visit https://www.unocha.org/.