According to the Yemen Agricultural Climate Bulletin, Cyclone Tej will be the most catastrophic weather event in Yemen in 2023. According to the report, the storm affected livelihoods for the first time in Socotra Governorate, causing an estimated 500 dwellings to be damaged, vital routes to be flooded, three people to be hurt, and 192 families to be relocated to the island.
In general, Cyclone "Tej" slammed Yemen's coast on October 19, 2023, displacing about 10,000 people in Socotra, Al-Mahra, and areas of Hadramaut Governorate. Despite the fact that the hurricane was warned five days before it impacted land, families' chance to evacuate was limited. The Agricultural Climate Bulletin recommends supporting humanitarian efforts to construct secure shelters for humans and cattle along Yemen's coast.
It is worth noting that, based on rainfall anomalies, Yemen falls within, or slightly above, the country's current average rainfall for the year 1983.
To improve the resilience of communities, particularly poor ones like Yemeni villages, during hurricanes, a holistic approach that considers not only physical infrastructure but also social and economic elements is required. Community engagement is an important facet of this, as active participation and cooperation among people, local governments, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) can increase the value and role of existing protection measures.
Community members' experience and knowledge can be used to ensure that interventions are tailored to their specific needs by incorporating them into decision-making processes. This holistic strategy also builds confidence among stakeholders, enabling more efficient resource allocation and catastrophe preparedness measures.
Furthermore, strengthening the social and economic fabric through targeted investments is critical; providing support for income-generating activities and skill training programs allows individuals within these communities to withstand the financial pressures caused by hurricane disruptions while also providing opportunities for long-term sustainability. Prioritizing the creation of resilient infrastructure should include not just the construction of strong shelters or the reinforcement of existing structures, but also the incorporation of climate-smart technologies and smart design principles into construction projects.
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