AFP reports that "super cyclonic storm" named Chapala is causing widespread destruction in war-torn Yemen after making landfall on Monday.
"The damage is enormous and we fear human losses," Fahd Kafain, Minister of Fisheries, said to AFP. The minister is part of a commision to asess the damage caused by Chapala in Yemen.
The southeastern provinces of Hadramawt and Shabwa and Socotra island are facing the majority of the storm. Preliminary reports state that at least 200 hundred people are injured and dozens of homes have been destroyed. The death toll is unknown at this time.
Windspeed reached 145 kilometers per hour when Chapala made landfall. High waves and heay rainfall have further contributed to the damage.
"The rainfall from Chapala is far beyond anything ever witnessed in this arid area which is not used to cyclones," the UN weather agency said to AFP on Monday.
Yemen's infrastructure is under enormous strain with the ongoing conflict, starting in March 2015. Yemen already faces widespread hunger, poor access to healthcare, and airstrikes. Cyclone Chapala further aggravates the destruction and under-reaching aid.
Cyclone Chapala is losing strength after landfall and is expected to downgrade to a tropical depression within the next twelve hours.
