Yemen’s valleys and farms are full of dangerous plastic waste

What the report says

Al Jazeera reports from Wadi Dawan in Yemen’s eastern Hadramout province that plastic and household waste are increasingly blighting one of the country’s best-known agricultural valleys. The outlet describes rubbish scattered under date palms, along roads and in flood channels that feed farms, with residents also reporting the smell and health effects of burning waste. Farmer and orchard owner Yousef Abdullah told Al Jazeera the debris blocks irrigation routes during floods, forcing farmers to clear plastic, construction waste and other hazards before water disappears.

According to residents, local officials and environmental advocates cited by Al Jazeera, the problem is linked to limited waste collection, inadequate disposal points and low public awareness. Salem Raji, who leads the Ministry of Agriculture office in Wadi Dawan and works as an agricultural researcher, has tried to raise alarm through local outreach and media. He said his office has almost no resources, citing a monthly budget of 8,000 Yemeni riyals, about $5, limiting field visits and cleanup efforts.

Al Jazeera places the crisis in the wider context of Yemen’s long war, which has weakened local authorities and basic services. The report says similar waste problems are affecting other areas, including Taiz, where a disease surveillance official warned that rubbish, sewage and debris entering flood channels can contaminate wells and contribute to diarrhoeal illness.

Environmental specialists quoted by Al Jazeera warned that unchecked dumping could damage soil, surface water, palm groves and beekeeping areas, threatening rural livelihoods tied to dates and honey. The report highlights how a basic municipal service failure is becoming an agricultural, environmental and public health risk for communities already strained by conflict.