Urgent Call to protect Al-Qahira Castle from collapse and the lives of people around it
Waeey Organization for Heritage and Development WOHD calls the Presidential Council, the Cabinet Presidency, the Governor of Taiz Governorate, all relevant international and local organizations and parties, and the General Authority for Antiquities to urgently take emergency action to protect the historic Al-Qahira Castle in Taiz Governorate from significant dangers.
The scope of the collapses has widened yesterday, March 01, 2024, posing a greater threat to the remaining walls and buildings of the castle. Over the past nine years, like other historical landmarks and cities in Yemen, the historical city of Taiz has suffered significant destruction and damage due to war and conflict that Yemen has been experiencing since the beginning of the year 2015. Additionally, environmental and natural factors have caused collapses in numerous historical sites and buildings in Taiz Governorate, particularly due to heavy rainfall in April of last year, 2023 which led Waeey Organization for Heritage and Development to issue an urgent appeal to governmental and international entities concerned with intervening to safeguard these affected historical sites. Furthermore, as we approach the rainy season and the climate changes that increase the risks to the Historical Al-Qahira castle collapsing significantly, the residents living near the castle are facing an fatal danger that threatens their lives.
The official and international efforts to rescue the castle have become a matter of utmost significance to prevent further risks . Neglecting the cultural heritage sector, failing to allocate the necessary resources for protection and preservation, and the accelerating factors of erosion have prompted civil society organizations to issue this statement and raise an urgent call to protect these historical sites that embody our ancestors late generation and which stands as the national identity, a source of pride and admiration, and a significant attraction for tourism and national income.
