Both individuals affected by the Nov. 25 flood that swept threw Jeddah and the charitable organizations trying to assist them are complaining that Saudi Civil Defense, the organization responsible for disaster relief, is letting them down. They complain of callous behavior by some, conflicting procedures about how to deal with destroyed homes by others. A general lack of coordination is seen by all as Arab News reports…

Civil Defense not doing enough, complain families of the missing

JEDDAH: Citizens living in Um Al-Khair, a Jeddah area affected by the severe floods, have accused the Civil Defense of negligence and a lack of responsibility toward those missing. Families of the victims say that they recovered 19 bodies all by themselves. They alleged the Civil Defense had not responded to calls for at least five days.

Residents said that the area is full of wild dogs feeding on the missing bodies. They also demanded action against those who approved their area for residential use despite the fact it was a valley for floodwater.

Thabit Al-Sulami, a resident who lost his brother in the tragedy, said that the role of the Civil Defense seems to be only in transporting the bodies recovered by the citizens. He said that it was down to their efforts that tractors were provided to clear the roads so they could reach disaster areas. He said that there was only one tractor in an area of five kilometers.

Volunteer Abdullah Al-Murtairi said he helped recover 15 bodies. He accused the Civil Defense of not helping properly and not answering emergency calls.
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Lack of disaster-management planning led to present crisis
Maha Akeel | Arab News

JEDDAH: At a meeting of charity and civil society organizations involved in providing assistance to the victims of the Nov. 25 Jeddah flash flooding, everyone came to the same conclusion: A lack of disaster-management planning was a key component to the extent of the damage and loss of life.

Seventeen charity and civil society organizations met Wednesday evening at the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JCCI) to organize their efforts after a few days of spontaneous but much appreciated mobilized work to collect and distribute donations in the affected areas. This followed a warning issued by the Makkah Governorate cautioning individuals and groups against donating haphazardly and instead directed them to give their donations through registered charity organizations, which are supposed to coordinate their distribution work with the Jeddah Governorate to ensure that the donations reach those who need them.
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Meanwhile, officials are summing up the toll of the flood, both in lives lost and properties damaged:

Official death toll in Jeddah flood placed at 109
Muhammad Humaidan | Arab News

JEDDAH: With the recovery of one more body on Thursday, the death toll in the floods rose to 109, according to Spokesman of the Jeddah Civil Defense and Director of Disaster Management, Brig. Muhammad Al-Qarni told Arab News on Thursday. Al-Qarni put the number of missing at 39, adding that search operations were continuing. The civil defense provided 1,313 families are accommodated in furnished apartments on the past two days bringing the total of the families accommodated to 3,825 comprising 15,240 persons. The committee also distributed aid to 4,412 families comprising 17,4223 persons. A committee has also identified 5,029 properties and 4,664 damaged cars in the floods, he said. In related news, the Jeddah Department of Health Affairs has warned people against infections that might spread from waterlogged areas in flooded neighborhoods in a statement on Thursday. The department also warned against drinking water stored in below-ground or ground-level cisterns because they were likely to be contaminated by the floodwater, the Saudi Press Agency reported.