Yemen – Storm Chapala Leaves 3 Dead, 35 Injured and 40,000 Displaced

by in Asia, News

Tropical Cyclone Chapala has been affecting southern Yemen with heavy rainfall, strong winds, storm surge and high waves. The latest assessments say that as many as 40,000 people have been displaced by the storm. Major flooding was reported in the provinces of Hadramawt and Shabwa yesterday, 03 November 2015.

Earlier, on 02 November, the storm wreaked havoc on the island of Socotra, located about 200 miles off the Yemeni mainland, causing severe damage to around 200 houses. Media report that three people were killed and more than 200 injured.

Yesterday the heavy rains triggered severe floods in the provinces of Hadramawt and Shabwa. The provinces are home to around 2 million people, including thousands of internally displaced and refugees from the ongoing war. The city of Mukalla in Hadramawt, which is the country’s fifth largest city, was particularly badly hit by flooding.

1.1 Million Affected, 40,000 Displaced

The are no complete reports of levels of damage, although Minister of Fisheries Fahd Kafain told AFP, “The damage is enormous.”

UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) report that initial suggest more than 40,000 people have been displaced or temporarily evacuated from coastal areas and at least 450 homes damaged or destroyed. They also confirm that early reports suggest three people have died and 34 injured.

OCHA say that, based on current projections, the estimated number of people that may be affected by Cyclone Chapala is 1.1 million or more – mainly in the two governorates of Shabwah and Hadramaut.

Relief Response

The European Commission’s Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection department (ECHO) reported yesterday that Emirates Red Crescent Authority (ERC), the Khalifa Foundation and the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre announced they will establish an air bridge to dispatch relief items to Al Mahra, Hadramout, Shabwa and East Socotra provinces.

The World Health Organization said that it had delivered trauma kits for 1,000 patients in Mukalla, the provincial capital of Hadramawt, and was providing fuel for hospitals and ambulances.

Chapala to Weaken but More Rain Forecast

WMO said that “the rainfall from Chapala is far beyond anything ever witnessed in this arid area which is not used to cyclones.” Chapala is expected to weaken but there is still a high risk of extreme levels of rainfall.

In their latest report of today, 04 November, ECHO say that the storm’s centre was located near the city of Ataq in Shabwa governorate. ECHO go to say that precipitation with extreme amounts of rainfall are expected within 48 hours.

Image of tropical cyclone Chapala in the Gulf of Aden, captured by the AVHRR instrument onboard EUMETSAT's Metop-A polar-orbiting satellite on Monday 2 November 2015, 06:55 (UTC). Copyright: 2015 EUMETSAT"
Image of tropical cyclone Chapala in the Gulf of Aden, captured by the AVHRR instrument onboard EUMETSAT’s Metop-A polar-orbiting satellite on Monday 2 November 2015, 06:55 (UTC). Copyright: 2015 EUMETSAT

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