Aden (South24)

South Yemen has witnessed widespread humanitarian disasters in recent days as heavy rains and flash floods killed dozens of people and caused severe damage to property and infrastructure, amid warnings of further deterioration.

According to data from Yemen’s Civil Defense, the Interior Ministry, and local reports, the floods left at least 18 people dead in separate incidents, including children and women, and injured four others, among them a young girl. Around 160 sheep were also killed, alongside heavy material losses.

In Lahj governorate, rescue teams saved six people and recovered three bodies swept away by floods, including a six-year-old boy. In the district of Tur Al-Bahah, a man in his fifties drowned in Wadi Ma’aden, while the village of Dar Al-Munasirah in Tuban district was trapped for hours, prompting urgent pleas from residents.

#BREAKING

Survey Authority in Aden: Torrential floods flowing strongly in Sila Blah, Lahij Governorate#south24 pic.twitter.com/1Lb5ZzS4He

— South24 | English (@South24E) August 26, 2025

In Aden, police found the body of one victim in Al-Buraiqah district, which saw widespread destruction and flooding of hundreds of homes, forcing families to flee. The governor declared the district a disaster area as local authorities appealed to the government and international organizations for swift intervention.

In Hadramout, floods killed a 19-year-old man while crossing a valley in Huraidah district, while two drowning incidents were recorded in Tarim: a young man in a deep pool in the Al-Suweiri area, and a man in his fifties and a 10-year-old boy.

In Shabwa, two children aged six and eight drowned in Wadi Beihan, while another death was reported in Wadi Usaylan. A man in his fifties also died while attempting to rescue a child.

In Abyan, a 30-year-old man drowned at sea off Shaqra. In Taiz governorate, a 28-year-old woman died after falling into a water dam in Izaaz area, while an 11-year-old girl was injured when a wall collapsed in Wadi Al-Dhahi.

#BREAKING
Yemeni Interior Ministry: Heavy rainfall in Hadramout over past hours caused human/material damages#south24pic.twitter.com/qt73I96WPx

— South24 | English (@South24E) August 26, 2025

On Yemen’s west coast in Hodeidah, a nine-year-old boy died in Al-Khokhah district after falling into a rain-filled pit near a displacement camp.

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) said more than 100,000 people have been affected by the floods in South Yemen, including thousands of displaced families who lost their homes and livelihoods. It warned that damage to water and sanitation facilities could trigger disease outbreaks.

The IRC said it had launched emergency operations in the worst-hit areas of Abyan, Lahj, Taiz, and Aden, adding that these governorates “are also facing emergency levels of food insecurity, with families suffering from acute food shortages and high levels of malnutrition.”

As damage mounted, the Southern Transitional Council’s Social Affairs Authority issued an urgent humanitarian appeal to assist victims in Aden, Lahj, and other governorates, saying the floods “paralyzed life and caused massive suffering to citizens,” and called for immediate intervention from local and international organizations.

Prime Minister Salem bin Buraik ordered a halt to unplanned construction in flood channels and approved the start of a waterway project in Aden’s Wadi Al-Kabir to reduce risks. Authorities in Wadi Hadramout also banned construction in flood channels and approved compensation for affected families.

The Geological Survey Authority warned of new flood waves that could reach Wadi Tuban in Lahj and extend toward Aden, urging residents to take precautions and avoid riverbeds.

Images from several neighborhoods in Aden, including Inmaa, showed submerged streets and damaged vehicles, underscoring the fragility of infrastructure and the absence of effective drainage systems.

The disaster comes amid a protracted humanitarian and economic crisis in South Yemen, worsening the plight of residents and highlighting the need for a government and international strategy to address recurring floods and natural disasters.