Skip to main content

Yemen’s warring sides blamed for destruction of heritage during heavy rainfall

Yemen is trying to save its cultural heritage by appealing to UNESCO and the international community, after many of its historic cities have started collapsing due to heavy rains.
A Yemeni labourer removes the rubble ahead of restoration works on the site of a collapsed UNESCO-listed building following heavy rains, in the old city of the Yemeni capital Sanaa, on August 12, 2020. - Flash floods triggered by torrential rains have killed at least 172 people across Yemen over the past month, damaging homes and UNESCO-listed world heritage sites, officials said. (Photo by Mohammed HUWAIS / AFP) (Photo by MOHAMMED HUWAIS/AFP via Getty Images)

Yemen is already reeling from diseases, famine and a war that has been raging since March 2015. And now cities are collapsing because of heavy rainfall. The poor infrastructure in the country's historic cities can not deal with the torrential rain and floods, causing another disaster.

Several historic monuments and buildings in the UNESCO-listed Old City of Sanaa have already collapsed. Many of the mud houses and multistory tower buildings in Sanaa’s historic neighborhoods, which have been inhabited for 2,500 years, have partially collapsed due to the exceptional heavy rainfall. 

Access the Middle East news and analysis you can trust

Join our community of Middle East readers to experience all of Al-Monitor, including 24/7 news, analyses, memos, reports and newsletters.

Subscribe

Only $100 per year.