Yemen rains...the government declares the liberated districts in Hajjah “disaster” areas after thousands of displaced families were affected

The Yemeni government authorities declared the liberated districts of Hajjah Governorate (northwest of Yemen) “disaster” areas after thousands of displaced families were affected as a result of the heavy rains witnessed last weekend.

The Executive Unit for the Management of Displaced Persons' Camps in Hajjah Governorate said that 3,521 displaced families were affected by the torrential rains that struck the northern districts last Thursday and Friday.

The official Al-Thawra Net website quoted the director of the Executive Unit branch in Hajjah Governorate, Abdo Masawi, as saying that most of these families had lost their homes, including the food they contained.

He added, "Even though 24 hours had passed since the unit's distress call, it had not received any response, whether from the government or humanitarian organizations, expressing his dissatisfaction with the state of neglect of the humanitarian disaster that befell thousands of displaced people who lost their homes and no longer even had mattresses or blankets with which they could take shelter." ".

He explained that these affected families include thousands of displaced people, most of whom are children and women, in the districts of (Midi, Haradh, Hiran, and Abs), explaining that they are now in dire need of urgent interventions in the shelter and shelter materials sector, and the food, water, and environmental sanitation sectors.

On Saturday, the Executive Unit launched a distress call, calling on the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center, and all humanitarian organizations to contribute to meeting the needs of the displaced in those districts.

Meanwhile, citizens and displaced people complained about the absence of humanitarian interventions by UN and international organizations, which they accused of being selective in their humanitarian interventions and submitting to Houthi pressure.

Local residents told Yemen Shabab Net that, despite five days having passed since the disaster, no UN or international organization has carried out any humanitarian interventions, despite the appeals that were launched.

They added that international organizations respond selectively to natural disasters and yield to Houthi pressure, as happened in their immediate responses to relief those afflicted in Saada and Amran last week, while ignoring all calls they receive from liberated areas, as is the case.

Citizens called on the legitimate government to carry out its duties, by implementing urgent interventions and mobilizing support for those affected who are left out in the open.

According to citizens, thousands of homes and shelters were completely or partially damaged as a result of the rains, which caused furniture, food, vehicles, and property to be washed away and drowned, and dozens of livestock died.

For months, Yemen has been witnessing heavy monsoon rains, causing human losses and causing significant damage to property, infrastructure, housing, and displacement camps throughout the country.

In the latest UN statistics, 24 people were killed and injured, while about 159,000 others were affected by torrential rains in Yemen, since the beginning of this year, 2024.