Heavy rain floods streets in Yemen's Sanaa and Aden
Heavy rain has flooded Yemen's capital Sanaa and the southern port city of Aden. Streets were submerged, leaving residents struggling to get through areas without adequate drainage.
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Al Jazeera
19 hours ago
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At least 21 killed in Pakistan torrential rain, flooding
At least 21 people have died in monsoon rain-related incidents in Pakistan, authorities said, pushing the nationwide death toll over the last week above 400 as floods and landslides continue to devastate large parts of the country. The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) said on Wednesday that 11 people were killed in Gilgit-Baltistan in the north and 10 others died in Karachi, Pakistan's financial hub, where heavy rain triggered electrocutions and house collapses. Schools in Karachi, a city of more than 20 million, remained closed as forecasters warned of further downpours until Saturday. Sindh's chief meteorologist, Amir Hyder Laghari, blamed 'weak infrastructure' for the severe flooding in urban areas. The city's ageing pipes and drains struggled to handle the deluge, leaving entire neighbourhoods submerged. Residents were seen scooping murky water from their homes as power and phone outages added to the disruption. Provincial officials reported 40 to 50 houses damaged in two districts. 'Another (rain) spell is to start by the end of the month,' NDMA chairman Inam Haider Malik said. The northern province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has been hardest hit, with more than 350 people killed since last Thursday. Authorities and army units are searching for dozens of missing villagers in areas struck by flash floods and landslides. Excavators have been deployed to clear debris clogging rivers and drainage systems. 'We have established relief camps where we are providing medical assistance. We are also giving dry rations and tents to all the people,' army Colonel Irfan Afridi told the AFP news agency in Buner district, where more than 220 people have died in recent days. 'The children are scared. They say we cannot sleep at night due to fear,' said Anjum Anwar, a medical worker at a relief camp. 'The flood … has destroyed our entire settlements.' The monsoon season, which runs from June to September, often brings destruction to Pakistan's mountainous north and flood-prone south. Authorities warn the current rains may last until mid-September. Nearly 750 people have died since this year's monsoon began, officials said. Pakistan, one of the countries most vulnerable to climate change, has faced increasingly extreme weather in recent years. In 2022, monsoon floods submerged a third of the country, killing about 1,700 people.
Al Jazeera
a day ago
- Al Jazeera
Heavy rain floods streets in Yemen's Sanaa and Aden
Heavy rain floods streets in Yemen's Sanaa and Aden NewsFeed Heavy rain has flooded Yemen's capital Sanaa and the southern port city of Aden. Streets were submerged, leaving residents struggling to get through areas without adequate drainage. Video Duration 00 minutes 54 seconds 00:54 Video Duration 00 minutes 40 seconds 00:40 Video Duration 00 minutes 18 seconds 00:18 Video Duration 00 minutes 26 seconds 00:26 Video Duration 00 minutes 57 seconds 00:57 Video Duration 01 minutes 01 seconds 01:01 Video Duration 01 minutes 35 seconds 01:35
Al Jazeera
2 days ago
- Al Jazeera
Iraq is facing a water crisis, hit by one of its worst droughts in century
Iraq is experiencing its driest year on record since 1933, as the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers, which flow into the Persian Gulf from West Asia, have seen their levels drop by up to 27 percent due to poor rainfall and upstream water restrictions. In the southern part of the country, a humanitarian crisis caused by drought and water shortages is unfolding in Basra, a vital port and oil hub. Basra, home to nearly 3.5 million people, remains Iraq's most water-scarce and climate-vulnerable region, deeply affected by inadequate water management. Many there are forced to depend on daily water deliveries to ensure their survival and health. Hasan Raykan, a resident of Basra, is forced to travel several kilometres daily just to secure his share of clean water. He says the allocated amount barely covers his family's needs. 'I have to wake up early and leave my work and stand in long queues to bring [water] home,' Raykan told Al Jazeera. 'In many cases, we have to tighten ratios between livestock and household use. The seawater near our homes is polluted and causes skin diseases.' The quality of seawater, already unsuitable for human consumption, has been further degraded by oil spills, agricultural runoff and sewage discharge. Furthermore, saltwater travelling from the Gulf – via the Shatt Al-Arab River, which feeds from the Tigris and Euphrates – has been moving steadily upriver, increasing salinity levels in the Basra region. And the flow of freshwater is diminishing due to dams upstream. The Mihayla desalination station in Abul Khaseeb district has been operating to alleviate Basra's water crisis for more than a year. It uses a special method to treat water containing high quantities of salt from the Shatt Al-Arab River. 'We produce nearly 72,000 cubic metres [19 million gallons] of treated water daily, currently serving about 50 percent of Abul Khaseeb district,' Sa'dun Abbud, senior engineer at the Mihayla Water Desalination Station, told Al Jazeera. 'Salinity in the Shatt Al-Arab River has reached nearly 40,000 total dissolved solids. After desalination, the refuse is returned to the river.' Experts warn that the water crisis will worsen, unless there is urgent government action. 'Basra has lost 26 to 30 diverse marine species due to saltwater intrusion,' said Alaa Al-Badrani, a water expert. 'This has created a new, hybrid environment unsuitable for both freshwater and seawater species. With salinity levels rising, the water is also unfit for agriculture.' 'While reduced rainfall and rising temperatures are global challenges, Iraq's water crisis is also the result of upstream restrictions and domestic neglect,' wrote Hayder Al-Shakeri, research fellow in the Middle East and North Africa programme at Chatham House, in a piece for the think tank's website. 'Corruption and self-interest among Iraq's political elite weaken institutional capacity', creating opportunities for its neighbours Turkiye and Iran to push for deals that don't necessarily benefit Iraq, said Al-Shakeri. The water crisis was at its worst in 2018, when more than 118 people were sent to hospital with signs of contamination. There are now renewed fears of an outbreak. Reforms at both the domestic and regional levels are needed to resolve Iraq's water crisis, noted Al-Shakeri, who said, 'Domestically, Iraq should establish a national water diplomacy body with a clear mandate to negotiate, monitor flows, and to coordinate between ministries, governorates, and the Kurdistan region.'
