UN Estimates Over 10,000 Families in Yemen Affected by Tej Cyclone

A car drives through a flooded road in the city of al-Ghaydah in Yemen's al-Mahra governorate on October 25, 2023, following a tropical cyclone. (AFP)
A car drives through a flooded road in the city of al-Ghaydah in Yemen's al-Mahra governorate on October 25, 2023, following a tropical cyclone. (AFP)
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UN Estimates Over 10,000 Families in Yemen Affected by Tej Cyclone

A car drives through a flooded road in the city of al-Ghaydah in Yemen's al-Mahra governorate on October 25, 2023, following a tropical cyclone. (AFP)
A car drives through a flooded road in the city of al-Ghaydah in Yemen's al-Mahra governorate on October 25, 2023, following a tropical cyclone. (AFP)

The UN estimated that over 10,000 households in the al-Mahra, Hadramawt, and Socotra governorates had been impacted by the Tej Cyclone.

Local authorities announced the restoration of electricity and communications, and the reopening of roads is allowing teams to assess the impact of the cyclone better.

Director of the Office of the Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation in al-Mahra Governorate Ali bin Balhaf called upon international, regional, and non-governmental organizations to support the local authority in confronting the repercussions and disastrous results of the natural disaster.

The official said several homes and private and public properties were destroyed, and hundreds of families displaced.

He warned of a health disaster that threatens the lives of residents, calling on humanitarian partners to respond quickly and provide all forms of urgent support.

Bin Balhaf stressed that the local authority was ready to provide possible facilities and overcome all difficulties to facilitate access to the affected areas.

UN estimates

The UN Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in Yemen reported that over 10,000 households have been affected, including an estimated 7,100 homes in al-Mahra, 2,682 families in Hadramawt, and 669 in Socotra.

The UN office stated that homes have been damaged, destroyed, or flooded, with household items swept away.

Strong winds and rains also damaged sites for displaced people in Hadramawt and the agriculture and fishery sectors in al-Mahra.

The report indicated that partners continue to conduct assessments and scale-up responses to affected households.

Partners on the ground are prioritizing the distribution of food and shelter, said the report, adding that efforts were also underway to transport additional supplies.

The heavy flooding and rains have damaged houses and infrastructure and displaced families, namely in the Ar-Raydah wa Qusaia'r district of Hadramawt, in areas of Hasswin and al-Ghaydah in al-Mahra, and in both districts of Socotra.

The report noted that the storm's impact across these areas was structural damage rather than loss of life. Local authorities took precautionary measures, including the closure of schools and some roads, the early evacuation of households in high-risk areas, and the early warnings.

The UN confirmed that the local authorities in the three governorates are working to reopen the main roads, such as the road linking the Ar-Raydah wa Qusaia'r District with both Mukalla and Qishin in al-Maharah.

Electricity has been restored in most areas of al-Ghaydah and other districts, except Hasswin. Telecommunications, previously down in al-Mahra, are now operating.

Meanwhile, head of the Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council Dr. Rashad al-Alimi visited al-Mahra to follow up on the developments.

Alimi met the Commander of Saudi Duty Forces, Faisal al-Hujaili, and representatives of the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief) in the presence of al-Mahra and Hadramawt governors.

According to official sources, the meeting touched on the ongoing efforts to confront the repercussions of the cyclone, including humanitarian and relief interventions and rehabilitating basic infrastructure.



Lebanon’s Rioting Inmates Call for General Amnesty Law

A video grab of prisoners carrying out mock hangings at Roumieh prison, east of Beirut. Asharq Al-Awsat
A video grab of prisoners carrying out mock hangings at Roumieh prison, east of Beirut. Asharq Al-Awsat
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Lebanon’s Rioting Inmates Call for General Amnesty Law

A video grab of prisoners carrying out mock hangings at Roumieh prison, east of Beirut. Asharq Al-Awsat
A video grab of prisoners carrying out mock hangings at Roumieh prison, east of Beirut. Asharq Al-Awsat

Riots at Roumieh prison, east of Beirut, renewed on Thursday to pressure the Lebanese parliament to adopt a general amnesty law and slash the prison year from 9 to 6 months.

The rioting began on Wednesday night and continued till noon Thursday in an attempt by prisoners to pressure the parliament that was in session. Some of them even carried out mock hangings.

However, lawmakers failed to adopt the draft-law and referred it to parliamentary committees “for further review and amendments.”

Asharq Al-Awsat spoke by phone with some of the inmates. One of them said that the prisoners suspended their rioting “to avoid a confrontation with the guards ... who are not the reason behind our suffering.”

“The prisoners had received promises that the general amnesty draft-law would be adopted during Thursday’s session. However, unfortunately, the draft-law was referred to the committees, which are the graveyard for laws.”

“We don’t want to resort to escalation so that we don’t get into a confrontation with security forces and we don’t harm ourselves,” the prisoner added.

Lebanon suffers from overcrowded prisons where inmates, who live in poor conditions, demand better treatment and speedier trials.

Roumieh prison houses more than 4,000 prisoners, around three times its intended capacity, and has long been infamous for the poor conditions in some of its blocks.

A security source told Asharq Al-Awsat that the rioting on Wednesday and Thursday was limited to block B of the prison, where Islamist inmates are incarcerated. The source said that some of the block’s gates were broken down but there were no confrontations between the protesters and the security forces tasked with guarding the prison.

When the prisoners were informed about the draft-law’s referral to the parliamentary committees for further discussion, they issued a statement accusing “the parliament of once again disregarding the voice of conscience and humanity.”

They called for “exceptional measures” to resolve the problem of overcrowded prisons that have suffered from “injustices in arrests and trials.”