Floods kill 24, affect over 31,000 families in southwestern Yemen

Flooding in Yemen’s southwestern province of Taiz has killed 24 people and affected more than 31,000 families, with losses exceeding $15 million since late March, local authorities said Thursday.

Deputy Governor Moheeb al-Hakimi said during a press conference in Taiz that floods hit several districts, killing 24 people and affecting 31,260 families, Yemen’s state news agency Saba reported.

He said the flooding caused widespread damage across key sectors, with total estimated losses surpassing $15 million.

Hakimi said the disasters are not isolated incidents but part of chronic vulnerability linked to climate change, deteriorating infrastructure, rising food insecurity and weak institutional capacity for early warning and response.

On April 14, the Yemeni government said flooding in Taiz had killed 22 people and left 21 others missing or injured, while displacing more than 12,000 families.

Since late March, Yemen has experienced heavy rains that have caused dozens of deaths and injuries and widespread damage across several provinces, particularly in Taiz.

Yemen’s fragile infrastructure has worsened the impact of the floods, compounding the hardship faced by residents amid more than 11 years of war between government forces and the Houthi group.

*Writing by Lina Altawell