Saudi Ambassador to Yemen Mohammed Al Jaber, who also heads the Isnad Center for Comprehensive Humanitarian Operations in Yemen, announced Saudi Civil Defense is heading to the Yemeni Al Mahara province for assistance and rescue missions.
Al Mahara sustained heavy damage in the aftermath of a category 1 tropical cyclone that hit a few days earlier.
Joint Arab Coalition forces will airlift trapped civilians and airdrop aid packages to Yemenis ravaged by cyclone Luban.
Isnad center and King Salman Humanitarian Aid And Relief Centre are currently running Saudi-sponsored efforts for the development and reconstruction of Yemen, rebuilding of infrastructure and reparation of power plants damaged by the tropical storm in Al Mahara.
“We have also briefed them on the initiatives launched by Saudi Arabia and the Saudi-led coalition to support the humanitarian situation in Yemen and explained to them the projects currently being implemented by the Saudi Reconstruction Program (SRPY) in several governorates, including Al-Jawf, Marib, Hadramout, Al-Mahrah, Socotra and Dhala, and the importance of supporting Yemen’s economy,” Al Jaber told a presser.
According to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA), at least 20 tons of food baskets were successfully delivered to areas besieged by flash floods.
KSRelief also delivered a land convoy carrying 125 tons in food baskets for those affected by the cyclone.
The center distributed 100 tents, 8 tons of food baskets, 1,500 blankets and 200 mats so far.
Social activists posted pictures of Saudi Joint Forces relief efforts in Al Mahrah who performed rescue missions and delivered food aid side by side with local relief workers.
Al Mahara Governor Rageh Bakrit thanked, on behalf of the local population, the Saudi efforts for rescuing and delivering food aid to devastated citizens.
Over 250 families were evacuated to shelters by helicopters, Bakrit stated.
He said that some areas of Al Mahra are in a communications blackout after the network was put out of service by the storm.
Bakrit had officially raised the alarm on Monday for Al Mahara, appealing to the government and the Arab Coalition to swiftly intervene.
The governor further said that at least 50 families were trapped on houses' roofs and that the local authorities are unable to save them.
Local authorities are exerting relentless efforts to alleviate the suffering of injured Yemenis, but remain impotent as they come face-to-face with their limited capacities.
