2008 Yemen floods facts for kids
Map of affected areas, the worst effects having been felt in Hadhramaut, Lahij, Al Mahrah, and Ta'izz
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| Location | Yemen, especially Hadhramaut, Lahij, Al Mahrah, and Ta'izz |
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| Property damage | Unknown |
The 2008 Yemen floods happened on October 23. These floods caused a lot of damage. Sadly, 65 people died, and about 20,000 people lost their homes. The areas in Yemen that were hit the hardest were Hadhramaut, Lahij, Al Mahrah, and Ta'izz. Most of the deaths happened in Hadhramaut.
Contents
What Happened in the 2008 Yemen Floods?
How the Floods Started
Before the floods, it rained for several days. This started on October 23. The rain was caused by what was left of a tropical storm. This storm moved over the area.
The rain kept falling. More weather systems came from nearby Saudi Arabia and northern Somalia. This caused very bad flooding in some parts of Yemen. People hoped for better weather soon.
What Happened to People and Homes?
Thousands of families had to leave Hadhramaut. Many schools were used as safe places for people to stay. But these schools could only hold a small number of the people who needed help.
Rescue teams thought that more people might have died. This was because some people could have been stuck in flooded houses. The electricity and phone lines stopped working. Many homes were badly damaged or destroyed.
How People Helped
The government of Yemen promised to give tents. These tents were for emergency shelter. They also sent other important supplies. Six planes full of supplies left Sanaa on Saturday. More planes were planned for later.
President Ali Abdullah Saleh asked for a group to be created. This group would help the people affected by the floods. The United Arab Emirates also said they would help. However, some people in the city of Shibam felt that not enough help was coming from the government.
The Organisation of the Islamic Conference said the situation was a "national disaster." They started collecting money on Saturday. This money was to help the flood victims.
Yemen's president, Ali Abdullah Saleh, said, "The damages... are great and the catastrophe is also great."
What Was Damaged?
Besides the deaths, about 730 homes were destroyed. Many businesses and other buildings were also ruined. The strong thunderstorms caused at least nine deaths from lightning. These lightning deaths happened in the Al Mahrah, Ta'izz, and Lahij areas. The rain also ruined a lot of farmland. It also killed many farm animals.
Images for kids
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Estimated rainfall from the storm
