Roofs of at least 10 old houses were destroyed and more than 60 historic houses in the Old City of Sana’a were partially and completely damaged by torrential rains as the country has been witnessing monsoon low.
The General Authority for the Preservation of Historic Cities has declared a state of high alert to deal with any emergency, as preparations are under way to begin distributing tarpaulins to the most damaged homes in coordination with The Supreme Council for The Management and Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (SCMCHA).
In a statement to 26 September newspaper, Ezzedine Al-Tahsh, head of the Authority explained that 10 roof houses fell down and 65 houses were damaged in the old city of Sana’a.
“The Authority is working hard to speed up the restoration and maintenance of historic houses in Sanaa. It is preparing to hand over the first phase before the end of July, which has witnessed the reconstruction of 2 collapsed buildings and restoration of 60 historic buildings, repairing roofs for 30 historic buildings and completion of restoration of 12 buildings,” he said.
He called on residents of historic cities to take care of their homes and carry out regular maintenance, especially for roofs before the rainy seasons, to ensure that these houses are well-protected from demolition and collapse as a national and human heritage.
