Among those displaced are three families who are all related and were placed in one furnished apartment. “We live in Al-Harazat area. The entire area was damaged and our house is in a miserable condition. We’re staying here temporarily, but we’re unsure what will come next,” said Um Omar.

Another woman who lives along with her 12 family members in Wadi Muraikh, which is near Um Al-Khair, said their home was also badly affected by rains one month ago. “But the floods on Wednesday were even worse. Our walls were collapsing in front of our eyes and people were looking at us hopelessly. We can’t go back, the Civil Defense gave us an extra 10 days to stay at this furnished apartment. If they take a look at our home, they can tell there is no way back,” she added.

Safiyya, a mother of six, said her husband who works as a security guard and earns SR1,900 a month, is unable to afford a decent apartment in an area away from where their current home is. “During the rain, we had to cluster in one room. There were 13 of us. We were seeing floods coming from everywhere. The problem is that we have nowhere else to stay. Our home has three rooms, a kitchen and a bathroom. Only one room is usable after the recent floods. God help us,” said Safiyyah who lives in the Kilo 7 district.

Ahmad Al-Isa works for the Civil Defense. His home was also affected by the floods and it will  take him three more weeks to return home. “The Civil Defense did not specify a day for us to leave the furnished apartment,” he added.

“As we hear more news about the Samir dam near our home we feel it is important to leave the area. We like the neighborhood but as it becomes less safe we will be looking for a new apartment somewhere else,” said Fawaz Al-Harthi, a father of three who lives in Al-Tawfeeq district.

According to the Civil Defense, some 5,665 families comprising 26,626 people have been placed in rented apartments following the Jeddah floods. Abdullah Jeddawi, spokesman for the Civil Defense in Jeddah, said some 2,000 families have already left furnished apartments and returned to their homes. “Those who’ve left are mainly from the Baghdadiya district. A few others lived in Al-Samir and Al-Tawfeeq districts,” he added.

Jeddawi added that a committee consisting of members of the Ministry of Finance and the Civil Defense has inspected flood-affected homes and designated the time that families have to remain in furnished apartments.

Asked if there are any health risks when families return to their houses, he said, “We have contacted the municipality and the health officials to do the necessary cleaning and spraying.”