Yemen -

JM.

Cornu / T. Saint-Cricq, tsq / gil / abm AFP

Heavy rains caused the collapse of part of the recently restored national museum in Taez, in warring southern Yemen, according to a photographer.

Once an Ottoman palace, then the residence of one of the last Yemeni kings, the building had become a museum in 1967 and has since been bombed, and its collections looted.

Heavy rains have triggered the collapse of parts of the newly restored National Museum in Taez, Yemen.

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- Ticia Verveer (@ticiaverveer) September 30, 2020

The main entrance, facade and several rooms of the museum were destroyed by heavy rains last week, he said.

The museum had been partially restored in 2019, but parts of it remained damaged, leaving the site vulnerable to rainfall.

Cultural heritage affected by war

"One of the main entrances has collapsed […] due to the intense rains which threaten all cultural and historical sites," said museum director Ramzi al-Damini.

The establishment, which was to reopen in 2023, is a "symbol for Taëz and if (...) renovations are not undertaken, it will have a negative effect on the city", said Ahmed Jasar, director of antiques in this region.

Yemen's cultural heritage has been affected by the war between the government, supported since 2015 by a military coalition led by Saudi Arabia, and the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels who control the majority of the North, including the capital Sana'a. .

Taëz is under government control but surrounded by rebel forces whose bombardments have hit the museum on several occasions.

Heavy rains have fallen in Yemen in recent months, triggering floods that have killed dozens of people and damaged Unesco World Heritage sites.

The conflict in the country has killed tens of thousands of people, according to various NGOs.

The United Nations regularly refers to the worst ongoing humanitarian crisis in the world.

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