Cyclone Kills Two, Displaces 10000 in Yemen

A tropical cyclone has led to the deaths of at least two individuals in Yemen and the displacement of around 10,000 people, according to authorities.

The cyclone named "TEJ," made landfall in the southeastern province of Al-Mahra late on Monday and continued its northwesterly trajectory, disrupting communication and hindering rescue efforts.

Yemen's state news agency, Saba, reported on Tuesday that initial reports indicated "two fatalities, 150 injuries, extensive damage to infrastructure, public and private properties, and the displacement of around 10,000 individuals in the districts of Al-Ghaydah and Al-Hawin, which were the hardest-hit by the cyclone."

The storm caused flooding on numerous roads, submerging vehicles, and temporarily suspending rescue operations by volunteers from the Yemeni Red Crescent in Al-Mahra.

General Hakim Al-Matari of the military unit in Al-Mahra told AFP that while the intensity of the winds and rainfall had diminished, roads and communications remained severed.

The "Global Adaptation Initiative" at the University of Notre Dame classifies Yemen as one of the world's most climate-vulnerable countries. 

In recent years, Yemen has experienced increased frequency and severity of rainfall due to climate change's impact on Indian Ocean currents.

A report by the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Committee and the Norwegian Red Cross in May highlighted that the poorest country on the Arabian Peninsula had witnessed six cyclones in the past six years, compared to only four in the previous 25 years.

The report also noted that amid an ongoing, devastating conflict for the past eight years, Yemen had faced flooding in the years 2019, 2020, and 2021.

In July, a storm in southern Yemen shattered the glass façade of a major airport, injuring six passengers and causing damage to aircraft, forcing airlines to cancel two flights.