Info Minister: Images from devastated Tihama reveal the tragedy caused by Houthi militia’s actions.

In a recent statement, Yemen’s Minister of Information, Culture, and Tourism, Muammar Al-Eryani, shed light on the catastrophic flooding in the Tihama plains and coastal areas, attributing the extensive death toll and destruction to the actions of the Houthi militia, backed by Iran.

Devastation Unveiled

According to preliminary figures, the floods have claimed the lives of 45 civilians, destroyed hundreds of homes, and led to the displacement of tens of thousands of families. The deluge also swept away vehicles, damaged farms, and resulted in the loss of livestock, causing immense damage to properties and infrastructure. Al-Eryani emphasized that these scenes of death and destruction only reveal a fraction of the tragedy inflicted by the Houthi militias.

Systematic Destruction

Al-Eryani further explained that the disaster is a direct result of a decade of systematic destruction of infrastructure and essential services, the absence of state institutions, and the diversion of state resources towards funding what is termed as “war efforts” by the Houthi militia, particularly in the Hodeidah governorate. This shift in focus has severely undermined the local authority’s capacity to manage natural disasters.

Militia’s Tactics and International Pressure

The minister accused the Houthi militia of blocking flood drainage channels, destroying culverts, digging trenches and tunnels, and creating water channels for military purposes, altering the natural flow of floodwaters towards populated areas. He also highlighted the militia’s restrictive measures against humanitarian organizations, pressuring them to serve the militia’s goals, leading to the shutdown or freezing of their activities in Houthi-controlled areas.

Despite warnings of the impending disaster, the Houthi militia failed to take any measures to mitigate the effects or to rescue and aid the affected citizens, leaving the people of Tihama to face their fate without emergency or rescue teams and the presence of humanitarian organizations.

Call for Unified Support

Al-Eryani called for a united effort from official, public, and private sectors to support Tihama during this crisis. He urgently appealed to international and local relief organizations to provide immediate assistance to those affected by the floods, including food and shelter.

The Need for State Institutions

Highlighting the humanitarian disaster, Al-Eryani stressed the urgent need to restore state institutions across Yemen to end the ongoing suffering of the Yemeni people, exacerbated by the Houthi coup and the militia’s destructive policies serving Iran’s expansionist agenda.

This tragedy underscores the critical situation in Yemen, calling for immediate international attention and support to alleviate the human suffering and restore peace and stability in the region.

 

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