ICRC: Floods Caused Havoc in Yemen

Part of the aid distributed by the ICRC and the Red Crescent to those affected by the floods in Marib. (Twitter)
Part of the aid distributed by the ICRC and the Red Crescent to those affected by the floods in Marib. (Twitter)
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ICRC: Floods Caused Havoc in Yemen

Part of the aid distributed by the ICRC and the Red Crescent to those affected by the floods in Marib. (Twitter)
Part of the aid distributed by the ICRC and the Red Crescent to those affected by the floods in Marib. (Twitter)

Weeks of exceptionally heavy seasonal rains and floods have caused havoc across Yemen, killing dozens of people and destroying homes, agricultural land, roads and vital infrastructure, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said in a report on Wednesday.

The floods have also moved unexploded ordnance to residential and agricultural areas, posing a grave risk to civilians, it added.

The ICRC stressed that floods have added another layer of suffering for millions of Yemeni people, who are already severely affected by over seven years of protracted conflict.

According to the report, at least 90 people, including children, have been killed across the country.

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) also said that an estimated 35,000 households, most of whom are internally displaced, are reported to have been affected by floods across 17 governorates between July 28 and August 10.

The ICRC revealed that Yemen is struggling to cope with the conflict's consequences, including displacement, growing food insecurity and the imminent risk of system breakdown as all essential services – water, electricity, sanitation systems and health care systems are extremely fragile.

“Heavy rain and flooding have also increased the spread of seasonal and waterborne diseases like cholera, dengue fever and malaria, which continue to claim lives in a context where only 51% of health facilities still function,” ICRC said in the report.

“This year was the first time Hajjah has seen such torrential rains, we are not used to such floods,” the Committee quoted Yemeni citizen Abduljaleel as saying.

Abduljaleel, whose neighbors lost their homes because of recent flooding in Hajjah city, added that many people found themselves homeless and their belongings and fields completely ruined overnight.

“If this heavy rain continues, many more people will lose their homes, property and farmland.”

The Yemen Red Crescent Society (YRCS), with support from the ICRC and other movement partners, have so far assisted more than 8,239 families in 10 of the most affected governorates, providing food and non-food items.

YRCS volunteers continue search and rescue operations for those who have gone missing because of the floods, as well as to provide first aid to those injured.

“The floods have affected agricultural land, which will greatly exacerbate food insecurity in a country where up to 19 million are food insecure,” said Mulan Giovannini, the ICRC's Deputy Head of Delegation in Yemen.

YRCS Disaster Management Coordinator Abdullah al-Azab said: “Despite massive challenges, the YRCS is working around the clock to assist victims of the floods, but the needs are massive. It's important that those who have been affected are able to receive the lifesaving assistance they need.”

According to the data collected by the ICRC, 1,300,000 people have benefitted from the ICRC's support to 26 hospitals and 31 primary healthcare centers in different parts of the country since the beginning of 2022.

The ICRC has also supported more than 200,000 people with food and non-food items, including shelter and cash.

It conducted 20 visits to 15 places of detention in different parts of Yemen and supported six prisons around the country to improve access to health services for more than 8,000 detainees.

With the ICRC's support, 122 detainees were reunited with their families and loved ones. The ICRC and the YRCS have assisted more than 224,000 people through different joint activities.



Sudan’s RSF Kill More Than 30 in a New Attack on a Darfur City, Activists Say 

People displaced following Rapid Support Forces (RSF) attacks on Zamzam displacement camp shelter in the town of Tawila, North Darfur, Sudan April 15, 2025. (Reuters)
People displaced following Rapid Support Forces (RSF) attacks on Zamzam displacement camp shelter in the town of Tawila, North Darfur, Sudan April 15, 2025. (Reuters)
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Sudan’s RSF Kill More Than 30 in a New Attack on a Darfur City, Activists Say 

People displaced following Rapid Support Forces (RSF) attacks on Zamzam displacement camp shelter in the town of Tawila, North Darfur, Sudan April 15, 2025. (Reuters)
People displaced following Rapid Support Forces (RSF) attacks on Zamzam displacement camp shelter in the town of Tawila, North Darfur, Sudan April 15, 2025. (Reuters)

Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) attacked a city in the western Darfur region, killing more than 30 people, an activist group said, in the latest deadly offensive on an area that is home to hundreds of thousands of displaced people.

The RSF and allied militias launched an offensive on el-Fasher, the provincial capital of North Darfur province, on Sunday, according to the Resistance Committees, an activist group. Dozens of other people were wounded in the attack, said the group, which tracks the war.

The RSF renewed its attack on Monday, shelling residential buildings and open markets in the city, the group said. There was no immediate comment from the RSF.

El-Fasher, more than 800 kilometers (500 miles) southwest of the capital, Khartoum, is under the control of the military, which has fought the RSF since Sudan descended into civil war more than two years ago, killing more than 24,000 people, according to the United Nations, though activists say the number is likely far higher.

The RSF has been attempting to seize el-Fasher for a year to complete its control of the entire Darfur region. Since then, it has launched many attacks on the city and two major famine-hit camps for displaced people on its outskirts.

The city is now estimated to be home to more than 1 million people, many of whom have been displaced by the ongoing war and previous bouts of violence in Darfur.

The attacks on el-Fasher have intensified in recent months as the RSF suffered battlefield setbacks in Khartoum and other urban areas in the county’s east and center.

Sunday’s violence came less than a week after a two-day attack by the RSF and its allied militias on the city and the Zamzam and Abu Shouk camps killed more than 400 people, according to the United Nations.

Last week’s attack forced up to 400,000 people to flee the Zamzam camp, Sudan’s largest, which has become inaccessible to aid workers, UN spokesman Stéphane Dujarric said.