Heavy rain, floods kill 45, displace thousands in Yemen – Newstrends
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Heavy rain, floods kill 45, displace thousands in Yemen

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Vehicles drive through flood water following heavy rains in the province of Hajjah, Yemen August 7, 2024. (REUTERS)

Heavy rain, floods kill 45, displace thousands in Yemen

AL-MUKALLA: Yemen’s National Center of Meteorology issued an orange notice on Thursday warning that further extreme weather is coming, after seven days of torrential rain and flash floods that have killed at least 45 people and displaced thousands across the nation.

The center cautioned people in the central highlands and along western and southern coasts not to drive through or remain in watercourses or valleys.

Officials in the western province of Hodeidah said on Wednesday that at least 30 people died and thousands had to leave their homes as a result of heavy rainfall and flash flooding in most districts in recent days.

Mohammed Guhim, the Houthi governor of Hodeidah, told Houthi-run Al-Masirah TV that five people were missing and the rains and flooding had affected thousands of residents in about 500 properties.

On Thursday, pro-government militia the Giants Brigades reported that one of its soldiers was killed and two were missing after flash floods carried them away while they were driving in the Hays area of Hodeidah.

Images and videos shared on social media showed severe rains hammering most of Hodeidah’s provincial districts, resulting in flash floods that inundated houses, cut many others off and washed away roads, residences, cars and farm crops. Bodies of flood victims were being found across Hodeidah and residents issued urgent pleas for help.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs confirmed on Wednesday that the rains had significantly affected thousands of people in Hodeidah province, leaving dozens dead, missing or injured, and severely damaging houses and infrastructure.

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It said 15 people were killed by severe flooding in the Maqbanah District of Taiz on Aug. 2, which also displaced 10,000, buried at least 80 wells, swept away fields of crops, and wrecked and damaged houses and infrastructure. Heavy rains and flash floods also claimed lives and damaged property in the provinces of Hajjah, Mahweet and Raymah.

The UN Population Fund’s office in Yemen told Arab News on Thursday that they have distributed emergency relief to 6,797 people in Hodeidah, 3,976 in Hajjah, and 665 in Al-Mahweet and Raymah. It said many people were in desperate need of aid, including relief items, cash assistance, additional food assistance, and non-food items such as clothing.

“The challenges are enormous, including difficult access to affected populations because floods ruin roads and water is everywhere, as well as a shortage of supply to meet all the increasing needs,” the fund said.

In Hodeidah, residents described as “unprecedented” the heavy rain and flash floods that raged across villages and towns. A Yemeni government soldier in the Hays District of Hodeidah, who gave his name as Ali, told Arab News that military barricades, trenches, ammunition, water tanks and other equipment was washed away in the maelstrom, along with mango and banana trees.

“We haven’t witnessed severe rains and violent floods on such a large scale in 20 years,” he said, adding that the flooding had also unearthed land mines planted by the Houthis.

The devastating damage cause by the floods prompted Yemen’s internationally recognized government to issue an urgent request for assistance from foreign donors.

“The grave situation … necessitates immediate and thorough action to tackle the consequences and relieve the pain of affected individuals, provide them with required alternatives in the most impacted locations, and conduct urgent flood-draining measures,” the Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation said in a statement reported by the official Yemen News Agency.

Heavy rain, floods kill 45, displace thousands in Yemen

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Two dead, buildings destroyed in American factory explosion

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Two dead, buildings destroyed in American factory explosion

Two employees of Givaudan sense colour, a factory known for making colourings for beverages, located in Louisville, Kentucky, United States (US) were killed in an explosion that took place at the company’s facility.

The factory reported that the incident which took place on Tuesday, November 12 in the afternoon have also destroyed buildings around the company.

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Louisville Mayor, Craig Greenberg stated that firefighters managed to rescue and evacuate numerous individuals from the site, including some who sustained life-threatening injuries.

He also confirmed that all employees present at the plant during the explosion have been accounted for.

Earlier reports indicated that at least 11 workers were hospitalized.

The cause of the explosion is still under investigation.

 

Two dead, buildings destroyed in American factory explosion

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Local security chief arrested over murder of mayor in Mexico

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Alejandro Arcos

Local security chief arrested over murder of mayor in Mexico

German Reyes, a local security official in Chilpancingo, Mexico has been arrested for the murder of the city’s mayor, Alejandro Arcos.

The Mexican authorities announced his arrest via a statement on Tuesday, November 12.

The Mayor was killed in the month of October as security officials discovered his lifeless body in his pick-up truck with his head chopped off and placed on his body.

The brutal killing and decapitation of Mayor Alejandro Arcos, which occurred just days after he assumed office, stunned the nation.

Guerrero prosecutors confirmed the detention of the security official who was identified as German ‘N,’ in line with Mexican practice of withholding the full names of suspects.

However, a local government official later identified him as German Reyes, who was the security chief for Chilpancingo, a city of around 280,000 residents in southwestern Mexico prior to his arrest.

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“The Guerrero prosecutor’s office, the Mexican army and the National Guard, arrested a man for the crime of qualified homicide in Chilpancingo,” the statement said.

The arrest seems to provide more proof of the extensive infiltration of organized crime in local governments across large parts of Mexico, as well as the corruption among local officials.

Reyes had a lengthy career in Mexico’s military, according to his public profile.

Further reports by the police revealed that the Mayor had prior to his death, left Chilpancingo in his truck without a driver or security detail, heading toward the nearby town of Petaquillas, Mexico.

Local media also suggested that Arcos had met with members of Los Ardillos, a criminal group operating in Guerrero, Mexico.

 

Local security chief arrested over murder of mayor in Mexico

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COP29: Islamic bank supports WHO Impact Investment with $10m

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COP29: Islamic bank supports WHO Impact Investment with $10m

The Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) has committed a $10 million grant to the World Health Organization (WHO) to support the Health Impact Investment Platform (HIIP), bolstering its mission to strengthen primary healthcare systems worldwide.

Announced on November 12, 2024, during the UN Climate Change Conference (COP29) in Baku, the grant highlights IsDB’s dedication to enhancing health resilience and climate adaptation in low- and middle-income countries.

In a statement on Tuesday, IsDB described HIIP as a groundbreaking partnership among Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs), WHO and nations seeking robust health and climate solutions.

“This initiative focuses on the investment in essential, climate and crisis-resilient primary health care services and systems,” the bank stated, emphasizing the aim to reinforce the health system, especially in low- and middle-income countries and in underserved communities, ultimately aiming to foster resilience against emerging health threats and climate challenges.

Fifteen countries are identified as part of phase one of the Health Impact Investment Platform: Burundi, Central African Republic, Comoros, Djibouti, Egypt, Ethiopia Guinea Bissau .

Other countries included Jordan, Maldives Morocco, Senegal, South Sudan, The Gambia, Tunisia and  Zambia.

Supporting WHO’s technical assistance goals 

The $10 million grant will specifically support the technical assistance that WHO provides to countries around the world to assess investment needs and to design the most impactful health projects.

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“These projects will serve as the foundation for co-investment by the MDBs, ensuring that resources are directed toward areas with the greatest potential for positive health outcomes,”IsDB added.

Over the next four years, WHO aims to strengthen climate resilience as part of its Fourteenth General Programme of Work, which includes implementing national climate adaptation plans and making 10,000 health facilities fully operational, including solar-powered electrification.

Unlocking $500m in health investments across the region 

In addition to the $10 million grant, IsDB’s contribution is projected to unlock at least $500 million in health investments across the region.

“This collective goal is part of a broader effort to mobilize a total of US$ 1.5 billion in concessional loans and grants, focusing on critical areas, this way addressing national health priorities.”  

Advancing health resilience, leadership statements  

IsDB President Dr. Muhammad Al Jasser said, the Islamic Development Bank is proud to support the Health Impact Investment Platform as part of our unwavering commitment to advancing universal health coverage and resilience in our Member Countries.

“These Multilateral Development Banks and WHO partnerships enable us to scale up primary health care where it is needed most, creating a stronger foundation to withstand future crises and addressing the pressing health challenges of today.” 

“Together, we are fostering a healthier, more equitable future for communities across the globe,” he said.

WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus emphasized that low- and middle-income countries need access to sustainable financing to strengthen their health systems through primary health care, to make them both more resilient to pandemics and more equitable in delivering essential health services.

“The Health Impact Investment Platform combines WHO’s public health expertise and on-the-ground presence with the resources and financing expertise of the Islamic Development Bank and other multilateral development banks. By working together, we can make a significant difference in improving health outcomes and creating a healthier future for all.” 

The IsDB, along with its partners, remains committed to fostering partnerships that will advance healthcare and improve quality of life globally.

 

COP29: Islamic bank supports WHO Impact Investment with $10m

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