ADEN, Yemen, Aug. 19 (Xinhua) -- Flash floods triggered by heavy rainfall swept through Yemen's southern port city of Aden on Tuesday, injuring 10 people and causing significant material damage, a government official told Xinhua.
The official said on condition of anonymity that torrential rains inundated residential neighborhoods and flooded houses and businesses. Local residents said the rains also brought traffic to a standstill.
State-run Saba news agency reported that Aden Governor Ahmed Hamed Lamlas issued emergency directives for health authorities to provide comprehensive medical treatment to flood victims at local government expense.
The government-operated Meteorological Forecasting and Early Warning Center warned that precipitation would persist in the coming hours in eastern and southwestern coastal regions, and along the Red Sea coast.
It urged citizens "to exercise caution," especially in flood-affected areas, avoid valleys and flood channels, and refrain from traveling on slippery, muddy roads.
Yemen's severely deteriorated infrastructure, weakened by more than a decade of conflict between government forces and the Houthi group, has intensified the flooding's impact on residents already facing fragile basic services. ■
