Yemen's government says heavy rains and flooding across the country have caused the deaths of 53 people since the beginning of July. The Ministry of Interior says the latest flooding in the Red Sea port of Hodeidah, 140 miles (220 kilometres) west of the capital, has stranded people in their cars as they try to flee the rising waters. Thursday's statement added that acres of farmland have been ruined.
Yemen, a poor, tribal country, is beset by a northern Shiite insurgency, a restive separatist south and elements of al Qaeda lurking in the mountainous hinterlands.