JEDDAH: Although two months have passed since the Jeddah floods and despite the subsequent volunteer relief work, the southern areas of Jeddah that were worst hit remain dilapidated. The floods, which hit Jeddah on Nov. 25, damaged and destroyed hundreds of buildings and left thousands of people without homes.
In Quwaizah, the removal and cleaning of construction waste is ongoing. A contractor brought in by the Civil Defense to clean the area from construction waste also confirmed this.
Arab News met the contractor in one of the worst hit areas of Quwaizah, which is located between three mountains and bore the brunt of the floods. Many people died in this area; their bodies along with cars and debris ended up in a large 13-meter deep narrow pit that has been locally dubbed the “Bodies’ Hole.”
Local resident Nasir Salim said a number of bodies still rest at the bottom of the pit. A team of Civil Defense still camp at the location on top of the hill close by. The Civil Defense also has vehicles and a boat perched not too far off.
The contractor said that the Civil Defense has promised that a similar flood will not happen again, adding that local people are troubled as many homes are dilapidated. “Over 3,000 cars were damaged in this area alone. The majority of these cars were purchased on installments and the owners have not received any compensation,” he said.
“Only 1 percent of residents have returned to their homes — the others are still worried about safety and the services available in the district … how can families go back to such a run-down area? There are no proper homes, no cars and no compensations,” he said, casting doubt on Civil Defense assurances to encourage people to come back to the area.
Abdullah Al-Jeddawi, head of the Civil Defense in Jeddah, said the Civil Defense has been working hard on removing pools of water from the area and looking for bodies in the remaining sludge. Among the challenges facing the Civil Defense he said is the “recharge water,” which continuously increases the level of water in pools.
He said that the Civil Defense took two bodies out of one lake about two weeks ago, adding that his department has not given any promises to people regarding the safety of the area. “We are working according to a plan. We do not tell people to go back to their homes without carrying out studies to evaluate the safety of homes. Homes are also evaluated by engineers and we ensure they have furniture,” he said.
Unlike residents who believe few have returned to Quwaiza, Al-Jeddawi believes that 60 percent of residents have returned home.
