A sixteenth-century clay city in Yemen, which has survived wars, is now at risk of collapse due to torrential rainfall.

Coined “Manhattan of the desert” for its clay skyscrapers, the historic city of Chibam - thought to be home to the oldest skyscraper in the world - is situated in one of the poorest regions of the Arabian peninsula.

The rains hit the country between April and September this year, resulting in devastating floods. Now, money is needed to help protect this UNESCO world heritage site from complete ruin.

The walled city has a high urban density - its eight-storey residences are separated only by narrow lanes. In order to avoid any further damage, the protective coating on the buildings must be re-done, but Euronews understands that the ongoing civil war and lack of funds are making this difficult.

A restoration operation of 40 residences is currently underway with the assistance of UNESCO for an amount equivalent to approximately 166,000 euros.

Chibam, like two other historic Yemeni towns, stands as living witnesses to the clay architecture of the Hadramout, which was the foundation of many ancient civilisations.