Aden (Union)
Yemen has launched a distress call to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to urgently intervene to preserve and protect archaeological sites damaged by the rains and floods that swept through a number of historic cities, especially those under the control of the Houthi group.
Yemeni Minister of Information Muammar Al-Eryani sent a letter to this effect to Audrey Azoulay, Director-General of UNESCO, and Salah Khaled, the organization’s regional director for the Gulf States and Yemen.
The letter stated that field reports confirm that a number of historic Yemeni cities were destroyed by heavy rains and destructive floods caused by the low pressure system that hit Yemen in recent days, the most important of which are the cities of Sana’a and Zabid, which are listed on the World Heritage List.
Al-Eryani added that the floods caused the upper part of the northern facade of the historic Zabid Castle to collapse, and many historic houses in Old Sana’a were also affected by the floods, and became vulnerable to collapse and collapse, in addition to the collapse of one of the palaces of Old Sana’a, and several collapses occurred in the historic Rada’a Castle.
The United Nations Population Fund office in Yemen and local officials estimated the death toll from heavy rains and floods that hit Al Mahwit Governorate, northwest of the country, last Tuesday evening at about 40, with dozens of homes partially or completely damaged, and hundreds of residents displaced.
UNESCO listed the Old City of Sana’a as a World Heritage Site in 1986, but in 2015 it was moved to the List of World Heritage in Danger. The Yemeni government says the country’s ongoing conflict with the Houthi group is preventing the state from fulfilling its duties in caring for and preserving archaeological sites.
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