Torrential Rainfall and Flooding Hit Yemen Amid Conflict and Covid-19

Amid ongoing conflict and the Covid-19 pandemic, torrential rainfall and subsequent flooding have displaced thousands in Yemen. Many roads are inaccessible, water supplies are polluted, and basic amenities have been cut, according to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).

The country’s infrastructure and health systems are already overwhelmed. On top of that, floods will open the door to waterborne diseases such as cholera, which has sickened more than 2.2 million people in Yemen in an outbreak that began in October 2016.

Flooding and displacement also increase the risk of Covid-19 in a country where the death rate from the disease is five times higher than the global average. An estimated 9,146 people were impacted by flooding in Raymah province. In camps hosting internally displaced people, floods affected at least 4,764 families.

The ICRC and Yemen Red Crescent Society have been working to provide support by distributing cleaning and personal hygiene items and providing health services and medicines. The two groups have aided an estimated 130,000 people impacted by the floods.