Second deadly cyclone in a week targets Yemen

Fisheries Minister Fahd Kavieen, who is from Socotra himself, urged the United Nations and neighboring Oman to “urgently intervene with emergency teams to save residents” on the island “which is now facing a cyclone stronger than Chapala”.

Forty people were also injured over the two days, Amudi said.

The new cyclone, Megh, brings more flash flooding and heavy winds.

It is expected to hit the island of Socotra, 380km (238 miles) off Yemen in the Arabian Sea, on Sunday.

Over the last several months arrivals had shifted primarily to the Arabian Sea coast to avoid intense conflict areas centred in Taizz governorate situated on the Red Sea coast of Yemen. Cyclone Megh has the potential to be far more destructive than its predecessor, as the storm lashes areas still recovering from the impact of Chapala less than one week ago.

“This would be the first season where two cyclones made landfall in Yemen as Category 1 or above”, he said.

The strength of Megh is still expected to reach that of a strong tropical storm, potentially even flirting with Category 1 hurricane status before reaching the island of Socotra later this weekend.

The US Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) predicts that Megh will continue its path west, making landfall somewhere between Aden and Mukalla on Tuesday.

Socotra, which is a hotspot for species diversity, only has a human population of 50,000 people, but the storm damaged numerous homes and caused serious damage to infrastructure.

Socotra, which was battered by Cyclone Chapala with wind speeds hitting 250kmph and waves hitting heights of 33 feet, is yet to pick up the pieces of the devastation from Monday’s onslaught. The result was massive flooding, along with mudslides, that drove thousands from their homes and damaged hundreds of buildings.

“The material damage is also worse than before, as a larger number of homes have been destroyed and 5,000 more displaced people have fled the northern shores of the island to schools, universities and hospitals”, he added.