Families displaced by the floods which hit the city in November will not be forced to leave their government furnished accommodation if their flood-damaged homes lack furniture and other basic living requirements. This was made clear by Brig. Abdullah Jeddawi, Director of the Civil Defense Department in Jeddah, who said that Civil Defense does not force those who lost their furniture to return to their houses until they receive their accommodation compensation and have finished furnishing their homes. Two months after raging floodwaters destroyed homes, cars and other property in east Jeddah, Civil Defense ordered displaced families to leave the furnished accommodation provided by the government and return to their houses stating that the municipality and Jeddah Health Affairs had determined that the area was suitable for living. Although some families did return, others said that their houses lacked basic living requirements including furniture. They added that just because buildings looked okay from the outside did not mean that they were habitable. Brig. Jeddawi said that the decision to ask families to return to their homes was based upon two factors: “There are houses suitable for living which have furniture and houses suitable for living but with no furniture”. “The evaluation is made by a committee formed by Civil Defense, the municipality and Jeddah Health Affairs,” the brigadier said. He said that those who lost all their furniture will not be forced to vacate the furnished apartments where they are currently being housed until they have received compensation and are able to furnish their homes. He also said that the Ministry of Finance will compensate people who lost their cars in the flood. “We received approximately 10,000 applications for compensation for cars lost or destroyed in the floods and we will submit them to the Ministry of Finance,” he said.
