Press "Enter" to skip to content

Floods in central Somalia hit nearly 1 million people- UN

The seasonal monsoon-like rains intensified across Somalia, triggering flash flooding. At least 24 people have died in the flooding caused by heavy rain, which also drenched the highlands of neighbouring Ethiopia. The deluge left much of Beledweyne drenched and officials feared the flooding may spark in outbreak of diseases.

In this image made from video taken Sunday, May 17, 2020, people wade through a flooded street in Beledweyne, central Somalia. (AP Photo)

Flooding in central Somalia has affected nearly 1 million people, displacing about 400,000 people, the United Nations said Monday, warning of possible disease outbreaks because of crowding where the displaced are seeking temporary shelter.

The flash floods that hit Beledweyne and Jowhar, two agricultural centres in Somalia’s central area, according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. The area is still recovering from the floods last year that displaced more than 500,000 people.

The flooding also threatens to cut off the main road connecting Beledweyne to the airport which could disrupt deliveries of emergency humanitarian supplies to the town, according to the U.N.

Nearly 40% of the people in Jowhar, a smaller center of about 20,000 residents, have been displaced from their homes, according to the Somali government’s Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management in Hirshabelle state.

Residents in Beledweyne, a city of more than 400,000, said they are wading through flooded streets to escape waters that are still rising from the Shabelle River. They said they are worried about further flooding in the city, the epicentre of last year’s devastating flood, the worst in the recent history.

Hassan Elmi is a Beledweyne resident. He said, “the flooding here has affected the entire city. Yesterday the water marker was lower, but this morning it is up again. Things have changed and as you can see people are very worried about their safety. The government is helping some people, but those who are too weak or old need more help because they cannot wade through these flooded streets because the water is moving too fast.”

Be First to Comment

Leave a Reply

Mission News Theme by Compete Themes.