BAHRA: Bahra, a small town located around 20 km from Jeddah off the Jeddah-Makkah Highway, was also recently hit by floods which damaged homes and disrupted roads cutting off access.

Floods have destroyed homes and roads in Bahra, which now looks similar to Jeddah’s Quwaiza and Kilo 14 districts. However, according to local residents Arab News is the only newspaper to visit the area to document the plight of those affected.

Hearing that a newspaper reporter had arrived, people came out into the streets asking to have their destroyed homes pictured to highlight their plight and encourage government officials to speed up the relief operation.

One of those in a dire situation is 60-year-old Edaar Al-Qahtani. Edaar’s home for over 20 years was partly destroyed in the flashfloods.

The father of eight, who has an illness that makes it difficult for him to walk, receives financial help on a monthly basis from the Social Affairs Department.

“My children cannot go to school anymore because the floods washed away all their books and school stuff. I cannot afford to buy new school books and uniforms,” he said.

His house, like those of many other people, was partially destroyed in the flash floods. Walls have collapsed and even the front door was washed away in the floods. The house is now unsafe for living.

The rain trashed all his furniture and clothes and Edaar has been left with only the few belongings that he managed to salvage.

With nowhere to go, do-gooders permitted Edaar and his family to live in his private enclosure in the Al-Khomra district of Jeddah. “I went to the Civil Defense to ask for help and I’m still waiting for the special committee to come and inspect my home and evaluate the damage. They’ve still not come,” he said.

Edaar does not have a car and relies on his neighbor to take him from his home in Bahra to his temporary accommodation in Al-Khomra. “I feel so sad because my children’s lives have been disrupted — they’re being forced to move from one place to another. They ask me everyday when we would be permanently returning home,” he said.

“My younger daughter wants to go back to school but I cannot help her. I’m waiting for things to improve so that our lives can return to normal,” he added.

The house of Edaar’s neighbor Sultan Al-Qahtani was also destroyed in the floods. “The floods did not leave anything,” said Sultan, who shares the house with his three brothers and their families.

The home, a modest-sized accommodation, is shared by three families with each living in one room. Sultan also takes care of his younger brother who is handicapped and unable to walk.

“When the floods came, I feared for my brother who cannot walk,” he said. “We gathered inside the house praying the waters would stop. I can still remember the water racing down the streets, the sound of people screaming for help and cars crashing. I then carried my mother and handicapped brother on to the roof of our house as the water level went up,” he added.