MOGADISHU (Halbeeg News) – Over 273,000 people including children and women have been displaced by severe flooding of the Shabelle River in Somalia, the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) said.
In a report released on Friday, NRC said residents of the worst-affected region of Beledweyne were “sheltering under trees or in emergency tents after their makeshift homes were washed away by floods caused by torrential rain.
“Floods have destroyed more than three-quarters of Baladweeyne and submerged many surrounding villages.
Victor Moses, the NRC’s Somalia director stated livestock has been lost and agricultural production has been decimated.
“Our team is extremely worried about at least 30,000 vulnerable people displaced by flash flooding in Bardaale, further south,” Moses.
He noted these communities will need immediate response to survive and long-term support to recover.
“The country is already ravaged by drought, which has contributed to the displacement of around thousands of people so far this year. Vulnerable communities become more dependent on humanitarian aid and find it harder to recover,” said Moses.
In the recent flooding-related crisis, the total number of the displaced people in Somalia over a combination of floods, drought, and armed conflict so far this year climbed to 575,000 people, according to the report.
“Food reserves have been destroyed, displaced people, particularly children, mothers and the elderly are at a high risk of hunger and illness. Water-borne diseases such as cholera could erupt and spread quickly. Stagnant waters are a breeding ground for mosquitoes and could result in a malaria outbreak,” he warned.
Moses said that Beledweyne as well as the entire region of Hiran “have not received sufficient humanitarian support due to ongoing security risks and the prevalence of armed actors in the area.
“This is already an extremely vulnerable community and we could see huge suffering and potential loss of life, if rain continues to fall and aid isn’t received in time. A coordinated, multi-sectoral humanitarian response is urgently needed to support thousands of people,” he said.
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