Floods exacerbate existing vulnerabilities in Yemen

Flooding destroys farmlands, which are the main source of income for people living in rural areas, who particularly rely on grape and wheat crops. Some farmers have recently lost their fruit farms overnight and are still in shock from the trauma they have experienced. The impact of a flood – the loss of lives, assets, shelter and livelihoods – can endure for many years.

“We depend on farming and growing wheat to save money for the year,” says Sadeq Ausaim, a resident of Hababah area in Thula district of Amran governorate. “Dam flooding has swept away my farmland and damaged the soil. It is a big loss that I never expected in my entire life.” Like Sadeq’s, many families were affected after the collapse of Al-Ronah water dam in Hababah area, one of the biggest dams in the province.

Poverty, illness and vulnerability to disasters are mutually reinforcing. Most of the residents in Hababah area are already very poor: after more than five years of conflict, they have largely lost their savings and their main sources of income, leaving them much more vulnerable to disasters like flooding.

“I am the only person who lives in this house,” says Faizah, a female resident in Hababah area. “I had to leave my home for two days during the rains because the house started to fall apart. There is nowhere I can take refuge and no one to rely on.” Faizah has been suffering from stunted growth since she was a child. All of her family members have died and she is alone seeking aid to survive.

As a result of the rainy season, the prevalance of diseases such as cholera, malaria, dengue fever and COVID-19 are expected to increase. Yemen suffered from water-borne diseases even before the escalation of the conflict in 2015. Children who usually play around the flooded areas are at risk of disease and drowning. Providing safe water, hygiene, and sanitation during flooding can limit the spread of diseases and is a key preventative measure in reducing the spread of diseases, particularly cholera and COVID-19.

The already faltering Yemeni economy has taken a huge hit in 2020 due to COVID-19, with food and other essential goods becoming inaccessible for millions as the value of the Yemeni Riyal plummets and incomes are lost. Malnutrition rates remain among the highest in the world, with more than a million women and two million children requiring treatment for acute malnutrition. The UN has warned that famine is once again a very real prospect.

Despite ongoing humanitarian aid operations in Yemen, the needs are continuing to grow, with over 20 million people in need of water, sanitation and hygiene services; 20 million food insecure and over 100,000 people displaced from their homes this year due to fighting and flooding. Many aid programmes are threatened with closure due to a lack of funding. If these life-saving interventions are stopped or reduced, the situation will deteriorate quickly. The devastating flooding Yemen is experiencing is deepening the misery and highlighting the fragility of millions.