YEMEN - 600 houses are expected to collapse in the old city of Sana’a, as a result of wet and excessive sewage, said Abdulkaleq al-Akwa’, a member of the Old Sana’a Local Council.

YR1.3 billion was allocated in the 2010 budget by the mayor of Sana’a, AbdulRahman al-Akwa’, in order to rehabilitate the endangered houses.

However, the local council said that the sum allocated will only be able to save 1/10 of the endangered houses.

The head of the Shura Council, Abdulaziz Abdulghani, called on reconsidering the economic posts for Old Sana’a in a way that eliminates the growing commercial style. “Employment should create a mixture of hotel shelter, technical and professional activities, and innovative cultural employment for historical construction dominated in the city in a way that suits the proper tourists jobs,” added Abdulghani in the symposium, held on January 24th and 25th. “In fact, the last campaign, from the beginning, accomplished success in manipulating a lot of issues that are of interest to revive cultural heritage in Old Sana’a and to keep it alive and active for its population and visitors,” said Engineering Ali Ashif, one of the founders for the executive office to maintain Old Sana’a.

“Unfortunately, there are so many complicated problems which exceed the support the Yemeni government provides or any international support specified to Old Sana’a.

As a result for the recent stage that Yemen is experiencing, there has been a sudden withdrawal of many financiers and the reduction of income sources and financiers for these activities.