Yemen’s Shibam: UNESCO-listed World Heritage Site Risks Collapse

By Staff, Agencies

Yemen’s city of Shibam is at high risk of collapse due to floods and rains in the region.

The city is called the ‘Manhattan of the Desert’ because of its ancient muddy skyscrapers.

The UNESCO-listed World Heritage site is situated in the center of Yemen above the Wadi Hadramawt valley.

The beautifully made ancient city, Shibam, is now struggling to survive.

UN describes the struggle Yemen faces with one of the world’s worst humanitarian crisis since 2014.

"The city looks like it was hit by a disaster," said Abdulwahab Jaber, a local official in the town, 480 kilometers east of the capital Sanaa.

The roofs and the walls have slowly started crumbling down due to the sun.

Restoration has been nearly impossible due to the lack of funds and loss of manpower.

Meanwhile, an emergency response plan in cooperation with UNESCO is under way, with approximately 40 buildings being restored at a cost of $194,000.

Shibam is one of three historical sites that bear witness to the mud-brick architectural past of the Hadramawt region in Yemen.