The United Nations confirmed on Wednesday that 15 million Yemenis need clean water and sanitation services due to the nine-year conflict Yemen has been seeing. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in Yemen has stated on the "X" platform, "Over 15 million people in Yemen need assistance to access clean water and sanitation services." The country's service sector has endured heavy damage and destruction since 2015 as the warring sides pay little attention to service issues.
The Yemeni government said Thursday that around 1,400 residents of Hareeb district in southern Marib have been displaced over the past seven months. The government accuses the Ansar Allah (Houthi) group of shelling and attacking residential neighborhoods in Hareeb, forcing families to flee to safe areas in the province.
A local official said two civilians were killed Wednesday in an explosion in western Yemen. Casualties were reported after an explosive device detonated in the Al-Duraihimi area of Hodeida. The official accused the Ansar Allah (Houthi) group of planting the explosive device. However, the Houthi-run Al-Masirah TV channel said the two people died due to an ordnance explosion from previous attacks by the Saudi-led Arab Coalition.
A UN report revealed that over 40 people and livestock died from lightning strikes in various Yemeni provinces in July of this year. The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) stated in its agricultural climate bulletin issued on Wednesday that the rains in July and early August were characterized by active and continuous thunderstorms, leading to the death of 45 individuals and the loss of livestock across Yemen.
South Africa announced that members of the BRICS organization, including Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, agreed in a Johannesburg meeting to welcome six new members, including Iran and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, starting next year. Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Iran are the six countries that have been added to the BRICS group. The BRICS was founded as an informal club in 2009 to provide a platform for its members to challenge a world order dominated by the United States and its Western allies. Russia initiated its formation.
