Houthi rebels say scores killed by flooding in Yemen

SANAA, Yemen (AA) – Yemen’s Houthi rebels said Sunday 91 people have been killed by heavy rains and flooding in areas under their control.

“More than 24,624 families have been affected by the floods in all provinces,” rebel spokesman Talaat al-Sharjabi told the Houthi-run Al-Masirah TV.

He said over 5,699 buildings have been damaged by the heavy rains.

“Damage was also reported to historic cities as Old Sanaa,” the spokesman said.

Houthi rebels control most provinces in northern Yemen, including the capital Sanaa, Ibb, Dhamar, Saada, Hajjah, and Al-Jawf.

On Friday, the United Nations said at least 77 Yemenis have been killed by heavy rains and flooding in the war-torn country.

Yemen lacks proper infrastructure due to the ongoing civil war over the past eight years, which underlined vital services provided to Yemenis and aggravated their suffering in times of extreme weather.

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

A military campaign launched by Saudi Arabia and its allies in 2015 to restore the Yemeni government has exacerbated an already dire humanitarian situation in the war-torn nation. Millions suffer from hunger amid persistent famine-like conditions.

*Writing by Ahmed Asmar