Yemen officials: Heavy flooding from seasonal rains kills 13

By AHMED AL-HAJ, Associated Press

SANAA, Yemen — Floods swept through parts of Yemen amid heavy seasonal rains, leaving at least 13 people dead, including two children, security officials said Saturday.

Fatalities were reported in the provinces of Sanaa, Ibb, Shabwa and Hodeida, where it began raining late last month, the officials said. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief the media.

Heavy rains also pelted the provinces of Aden, Taiz and Hadramawt, where flooding damaged houses and vehicles, they said. Rescuers managed to save some residents trapped in their cars.

Yemen’s National Meteorological Center issued statements in recent days warning Yemenis to stay away from flood ducts in affected areas and to take necessary precautions. Yemen’s rainy season runs from April through August.

Last year, flooding in Yemen left dozens dead and forced tens of thousands to leave their homes.

The Arab world’s poorest country is divided between Houthi rebels in the north and an internationally recognized government in the south. Both sides have been at war since the Iran-backed rebels swept across much of the north and seized the capital of Sanaa late in 2014. They forced the government of President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi into exile in Saudi Arabia.

Yemen is located at the southern corner of the Arabian Peninsula, overlooking the Red and Arabian Seas.