Yemen official says 30 people have been killed and hundreds displaced in flooding

SANAA, YEMEN (AP) — A Yemeni official said Wednesday that 30 people have been killed and hundreds displaced in flooding in the southern city of Hodeidah following several days of heavy rains.

Hodeidah Gov. Mugammad Qahim told Houthi rebel-controlled Masirah TV that the floods displaced people from 500 homes. Five people were missing, he said.

Hodeidah, the southwestern city of Taiz, and the northwestern city of Hajjah were all hit hard by floods this week during Yemen’s ongoing seasonal rainfall that caused flooding that swept away poorly built homes.

Authorities have not announced a confirmed overall death toll, or given the overall number of people injured or missing.

Yemen’s rainy season begins in late March, and rains intensify in July through mid-August.

The U.N.'s humanitarian office in Yemen said Wednesday afternoon that Friday floods in the Maqbnah district in Taiz city killed 15 people, cleared agricultural lands and damaged homes and infrastructure.

Further severe weather was expected to hit the western port city of Hodeidah later on Wednesday.

Some residents have reportedly been stranded inside their homes in al-Mansuriyah district since Tuesday night as roadways have been blocked.

Local authorities still haven’t reached areas severely affected by the floods for two days, leaving some residents trapped inside their homes, according to witnesses who spoke with The Associated Press.

Mahdi al-Mashat, chairman of the Supreme Political Council, ordered local authorities to respond to damaged areas, according to Masirah TV, which reported that floods caused “major damages to properties, lands, and roads” in Hodeidah.

Witnesses described the scene in the Yemeni...