Nature Reserve That Avoided the Horrors of War in Yemen Seeks Official Attention to Restore Its Splendour
(AWP) - The Hawf area in the Yemeni governorate of al-Mahra clings to its unique diversity, but visitors say that it lacks official attention after 18 years of being declared a nature reserve, considered one of the largest seasonal forests in the region.
In a country that has not seen one peaceful day since the beginning of the war eight years ago, the Hawf Nature Reserve seems to have exceptionally avoided the bloody conflict and preserve its breathtaking beauty and natural diversity. Visitors continued to flock to it over the past few years as a respite from the scourge of war.
The area is home to many rare types of plants, animals and birds, and became a haven for many citizens, who would park their cars and relax and enjoy the surroundings away from the conflict.
Studies show that Hawf is home to 65 types of rare birds, including migratory birds. It also contains rare animals such as the Arabian leopards, hyenas, hedgehogs, Arabian wolves, red foxes, ibexes, gazelles, hyraxes, and wild cats.
But some visitors complain of what they describe as the lack of official interest and care for the reserve and call for investment to bring about another boom in the region that contains 250 species of plants, many of which are important for food and medicine manufacture.
The Hawf Nature Reserve was heavily affected by the repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2019 and 2020, before regaining good numbers of visitors in 2021.