UNESCO-listed Old Sanaa houses collapse
The distinctive brown and white mud brick houses of Sanaa's historic neighborhoods in Yemen,
have long been under threat from conflict and neglect.
And now the 11th century houses are collapsing under heavy rains.
Mohamed Ali- Al Talhi's house partially collapsed on Friday (7 August).
"We call on all the organisations to save us may God save them from hell. We call on good-doers to save us, Six women and six children live in this house, we don't have anywhere else to go, no friend, no relative except God. Save us with a room or a bathroom, our house is in danger of collapsing."
Civil defense workers worked to salvage the UNESCO-listed buildings, which have buckled under this year's exceptionally heavy downpours, which began mid-April.
The deluge adding to what the United Nations describes as the world's worst humanitarian crisis.
Five years of war have killed more than 100,000 people, and left 80% of the population reliant on aid and millions on the brink of famine.
On top of the coronavirus, heavy rains like these can also spread diseases like cholera, dengue fever and malaria.
The Iran-aligned Houthi authorities that have controlled Sanaa since late 2014, appealed this week to UNESCO to save the city's heritage.
They said around 111 houses had partly or completely collapsed in recent weeks.
