Around 100 people are dead or missing and thousands have been left homeless after flash floods hit Yemen.
The floods, caused by torrential rains which began on Thursday October 23 2008, have affected much of southern Yemen, with the provinces of Hadramaut and Mahara worst hit. Both provinces have been declared disaster zones.
Around 3,000 homes are believed to have been destroyed and over 20,000 people displaced. Power and water services have also been affected and around 200 schools have been damaged or destroyed.
According to reports the extensive damage is due to the fact that most of the houses in the region are made from mud bricks.
Among the areas affected is Shibam, a Unesco world heritage site, comprised of historic mud brick buildings that are now threatened with collapse.
An international aid appeal has been launched and IR is on the ground.