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UN Warns Flash Floods, Drought Expected in Yemen

Flash floods may cause severe damage to agriculture (UN)
Flash floods may cause severe damage to agriculture (UN)
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UN Warns Flash Floods, Drought Expected in Yemen

Flash floods may cause severe damage to agriculture (UN)
Flash floods may cause severe damage to agriculture (UN)

The UN on Friday warned about potential widespread floods in Yemen during the current rainy season, while a severe drought is affecting many areas, significantly threatening agricultural production.

The agency also noted a decline in cultivated areas to less than half its previous size due to climate change and weather fluctuations.

rometeorological Early Warning Bulletin, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said convective rainfall anticipated during the upcoming fall season is likely to cause widespread flash floods, especially across the western and southern lowlands where rainfall thresholds may be exceeded.

FAO forecasts suggest that the intensity of rainfall could lead to soil saturation and overwhelm both natural and artificial drainage systems.

“These conditions are expected to increase the risk of flash floods and river overflows, particularly in downstream areas of mountainous watersheds, posing significant threats to already vulnerable agropastoral communities,” the UN agency warned.

Also, rainfall is expected to intensify this month, with peak levels across the Southern Uplands and the Central and Northern Highlands, where cumulative totals may exceed 300 mm in some areas.

This increased precipitation, FAO said, will significantly elevate the risk of successive flash floods, especially in flood-prone wadis and low-lying areas.

Highly Affected Areas
Based on current forecasts, flood risk levels are high in the Sordod and Siham watersheds, moderate (alert) in the Rimah and Zabid watersheds and low in the Harad, Banna, and Tuban watersheds. The most impacted areas are projected to include Hodeidah, Sanaa, Mahwit, Dhamar and Raymah.

FAO said floods are projected to significantly affect cultivated areas, with approximately 114,000 hectares of actively farmed land at high flood risk.

“This represents about 8% of the country’s actively cultivated land as of the end of July 2025,” the UN agency said in its report, adding that such flooding poses a serious threat to the optimal yields of key staple crops, especially sorghum and millet.

The bulletin also warned that floods are expected to exacerbate food insecurity and malnutrition in areas already facing Phase 3 and above in the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC).

In such levels, households may resort to negative coping strategies to manage their food consumption and livelihood needs, including the limiting of food consumption and depleting essential assets.

Therefore, FAO recommended enhancing localized early warning systems collaboration and ensuring that contingency plans are operational before the peak rainy season in August.

Also, it called for pre-positioning seeds, farming tools, and veterinary kits in exposed areas to enable rapid recovery and maintain planting cycles and for strengthening multi-sectoral response efforts to reduce risks of displacement, asset loss, and reliance on negative coping strategies.

Temperature Variation
Next fall, Yemen is expected to see temperature variations across its main regions, the FAO bulletin said.

Elevated areas are anticipated to have cooler temperatures, not exceeding 25°C. In contrast, higher temperatures, surpassing 35°C, are likely in the northern parts of Hadramaut and Al Maharah, as well as along the coastal areas of Taiz and Lahj governorates.

As of June 2025, combined remote sensing data from and field reports from the Yemeni Agriculture and Irrigation Ministry indicated that cereal crops, particularly sorghum, were in critical growth stages but experiencing significant stress.

This was primarily due to rainfall deficits from March to June, a delayed onset of the main rainy season, and higher-than-normal temperatures.

FAO showed that these conditions led to reduced soil moisture and increased evapotranspiration, adversely affecting both cereals and highland cash crops.

However, projections for August to October suggest the possibility of partial recovery, especially for late-maturing cereals and pasture regeneration.

Simultaneously, the expected increase in rainfall could raise the risk of flash floods in highly flood-prone areas, likely causing substantial damage to agricultural assets.

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Arab World

EU Hosts Palestinian Leader in Conference About Security and Peace in Gaza and the West Bank

(L-R) High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas, Palestinian Prime Minister Mohamed Mustafa, and Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide during the Global Alliance for the Implementation of the Two-State Solution 9th meeting in Brussels, Belgium, 20 April 2026. (EPA)
(L-R) High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas, Palestinian Prime Minister Mohamed Mustafa, and Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide during the Global Alliance for the Implementation of the Two-State Solution 9th meeting in Brussels, Belgium, 20 April 2026. (EPA)
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EU Hosts Palestinian Leader in Conference About Security and Peace in Gaza and the West Bank

(L-R) High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas, Palestinian Prime Minister Mohamed Mustafa, and Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide during the Global Alliance for the Implementation of the Two-State Solution 9th meeting in Brussels, Belgium, 20 April 2026. (EPA)
(L-R) High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas, Palestinian Prime Minister Mohamed Mustafa, and Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide during the Global Alliance for the Implementation of the Two-State Solution 9th meeting in Brussels, Belgium, 20 April 2026. (EPA)

More than 60 nations are sending representatives to Brussels to discuss with Palestinian Prime Minister Mohamed Mustafa stability, security and long-term peace in Israel, the West Bank and Gaza, as global attention largely remains focused in the Middle East on the ongoing crises in Iran and Lebanon.

Ongoing attacks in the West Bank and continued devastation in Gaza dims the prospect for a two-state solution, said Belgian Foreign Minister Maxime Prévot ahead of the meeting Monday. He is co-hosting the meeting with the EU’s top diplomat, Kaja Kallas.

“We observe without naivety that the two-state solution is being made more difficult by the day," Prévot said. “But Belgium and many European and Arab partners continue to believe that this remains the only realistic path to a lasting peace, for Israelis, for Palestinians and for the stability of the entire region.”

The 27-nation European Union is the largest single donor to the Palestinian Authority, with its 90-year-old president Mahmoud Abbas ruling from Ramallah for two decades. And while the EU has avoided directly joining the Board of Peace created by United States President Donald Trump, preferring the multilateralism of the United Nations and global legal norms, the bloc is eager to not be sidelined in diplomacy in a volatile region just across the Mediterranean.

Outrage in Europe over the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza drove many EU leaders to condemn Israel’s war conduct and to pressure Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government.

With the recent ouster of long-serving Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, a close ally of Netanyahu, there might now be enough political support within the bloc for stronger actions like targeted sanctions on Israeli settlers or even the suspension of some ties to Israel.

Palestinians in the West Bank say that Israel has used the cover of the Iran war to tighten its grip over the territory, as settler attacks surge and the military imposes additional wartime restrictions on movement, citing security.

Gaza requires “one state, one government, one law and one goal,” Mustafa said on Monday in Brussels.

“Our common objective of achieving one security structure under the legitimate authority should guide the effective coordination between the International Stabilization Force, the Palestinian Authority, security institutions and other international actors. Security must not be fragmented," he said.

He also called for “the gradual and responsible collection of arms from all armed groups and also the full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza.”

Arab World

Israeli Army Brings in Demolition Contractors to Raze Dozens of Lebanese Villages

Israeli military vehicles and armored units in front of destroyed buildings in southern Lebanon on April 15. (AFP)
Israeli military vehicles and armored units in front of destroyed buildings in southern Lebanon on April 15. (AFP)
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Israeli Army Brings in Demolition Contractors to Raze Dozens of Lebanese Villages

Israeli military vehicles and armored units in front of destroyed buildings in southern Lebanon on April 15. (AFP)
Israeli military vehicles and armored units in front of destroyed buildings in southern Lebanon on April 15. (AFP)

The Israeli army is using the ceasefire period to accelerate large-scale destruction in areas it occupies in southern Lebanon, which have been largely emptied of residents displaced by the conflict, according to local accounts.

Working around the clock across an area estimated at more than 800 square kilometers — about 8 percent of Lebanon’s territory — Israeli forces are systematically flattening buildings.

Confronted with the scale of the task and racing against time, the military engineering corps has enlisted private sector “demolition contractors,” some with experience in Gaza, to carry out operations in dozens of villages.

Using heavy machinery, including bulldozers and D9 units, they have begun what sources describe as a coordinated clearing campaign.

The occupied zone stretches from the Litani River to the internationally recognized border and has been divided into three sectors.

The first is a “total destruction” zone running along the entire Lebanese border strip, from the expanded Shebaa Farms area and the town of Khiam in the east, through Deir Siryan, to the coastal town of Bayyada in the west. Its depth ranges from about 3 kilometers at its narrowest point near Odaisseh to as much as 10 kilometers near Khiam.

This area is referred to by the Israeli army as the “yellow belt,” in reference to a similarly named line in Gaza. Civilian presence is effectively prohibited, with entry posing a serious risk to life.

The second sector extends from the “yellow belt” to the Litani River. Israeli forces have positioned this line along hilltops and elevated terrain to maintain direct visual oversight of the river corridor, despite advanced surveillance capabilities. Armed presence is banned in this zone, and civilian presence is strongly discouraged.

The area remains highly volatile, with Israeli troops on constant alert.

Reports indicate sporadic resistance operations, as well as the presence of minefields and ambushes. Tactics developed by Hezbollah since the 2006 war are being employed here. Most Israeli casualties reported in this area — 12 killed and around 30 wounded — occurred in this sector, which has also seen fire reach as far as the Tyre region.

The third sector extends from the Litani River northward to the Zahrani River. While not officially designated as occupied, it is subject to continuous aerial and maritime surveillance.

Israel believes Hezbollah uses this area as a launching ground for operations, including short- and medium-range rocket fire. Drones are reported to operate overhead day and night. Israeli assessments indicate that more than half of the roughly 8,000 rockets and shells fired from Lebanon originated from this zone.

Israeli military doctrine since Oct. 7, 2023, calls for layered security zones along each front — Lebanon, Syria and Gaza — including a fortified area inside Israel, a no-go “security belt” inside enemy territory, and a broader demilitarized zone.

Within Israel’s far-right leadership, some officials have embraced this approach as a precursor to expanding territorial control. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has called for further expansion and the establishment of Israeli military bases elsewhere in the region.

On the ground, Israeli forces appear intent on consolidating control over the “yellow belt” by erasing all structures above and below ground, from homes to schools and public buildings, a strategy critics say is aimed at preventing displaced residents south of the Litani from returning, or ensuring they find nothing left if they do.

The army also faces domestic criticism, particularly from residents of northern Israel, who say it has failed to provide adequate security despite months of fighting. Israeli officials argue that such operations could help secure longer-term calm on the northern front through a political agreement.

The Haaretz newspaper quoted a senior officer as saying the goal is “not a return to rounds of fighting, but achieving long-term security,” adding that Hezbollah has been significantly weakened compared with its position before Oct. 7, 2023.

Arab World

Hamas Gives ‘Positive Response’ in Cairo, Raising Hopes of Near-Term Deal

Palestinians in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, on Saturday (AFP)
Palestinians in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, on Saturday (AFP)
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Hamas Gives ‘Positive Response’ in Cairo, Raising Hopes of Near-Term Deal

Palestinians in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, on Saturday (AFP)
Palestinians in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, on Saturday (AFP)

Sources within Hamas said the group’s delegation in Cairo has delivered a “positive response” to a revised proposal from mediators, particularly Egypt, potentially paving the way for an agreement on Gaza soon.

Negotiations on the deal remain stalled. Hamas and other factions insist Israel must first meet its phase-one ceasefire commitments, including humanitarian relief and the entry of aid trucks into the enclave, before they undertake further obligations. Israel, backed by the US, is pressing to move directly to the central element of phase two: disarmament.

A senior Hamas source told Asharq Al-Awsat that Zaher Jabarin and Ghazi Hamad, members of the group’s political bureau and its negotiating delegation, have returned to Cairo after leaving last Tuesday for internal consultations. Khalil al-Hayya, who heads Hamas’s negotiating team, remained in Egypt to continue talks.

The delegation returned with a “positive answer” to a proposal for handling phases one and two in parallel, the source told Asharq Al-Awsat.

The mediators’ plan stipulates the immediate start of phase-one steps while discussions continue on phase two, with no second-phase measures implemented before full completion of the first. Progression within phase two would also be conditional on completing each preceding step.

Hamas has set conditions, including the swift entry of a Gaza administrative committee to assume agreed responsibilities, along with “clear and credible guarantees” within a defined timeline to ensure Israel carries out its obligations in both phases.

Sources said Hamas held broad consultations in recent days, inside and outside Gaza, involving all its internal bodies, including religious frameworks that have historically played a key role in decision-making.

They described a “consensus,” including from the group’s armed wing, the Qassam Brigades, in support of the mediators’ proposal and negotiations over potential amendments related to weapons.

Mediators are aiming for rapid negotiations on phase two while phase one is completed, with expectations that international actors, including the US, will press Israel to comply.

A Palestinian faction source in Cairo said “contacts and meetings are ongoing at all levels,” adding that many expect a breakthrough that could lead to a deal.

However, the outcome ultimately depends on Israel’s government, which has signaled through international envoy Nikolay Mladenov and US representatives that acceptance of the bridging proposal should include Hamas agreeing to disarmament.

Sources said mediators had asked the group to approve the proposal, while officials linked to the administration of Donald Trump and Mladenov had pushed for Hamas to sign a disarmament document before negotiations proceed — a demand the group fears could be used to impose terms it opposes.

During discussions, some factions proposed reducing phase two from eight months to three or four to accelerate humanitarian improvements and reconstruction in Gaza, particularly for displaced residents living in harsh conditions.

A senior Hamas official said the group has no objection to shortening the timeline, stressing its priority is to ensure implementation of any agreement to ease civilian suffering, including by enabling the Gaza administrative committee to begin relief and service delivery.