The annual rains in Somalia have triggered a series of destructive floods, leaving behind a path of devastation, according to a spokesperson from the United Nations (UN). Stephane Dujarric highlighted the widespread impact, including submerged homes and farmland, as well as the closure of healthcare facilities.
Early estimates provided by UN partners indicate that over 460,000 people have been affected, with nearly 219,000 individuals, including men, women, and children, forced to flee their homes due to the flooding, stated Dujarric in a statement. The Associated Press reported that at least five people, including three children, have lost their lives in the floods, as confirmed by Mohamed Moalim from the Somalia National Disaster Management Agency.
The Hiiraan region in the central Somali state of Hirshabelle has experienced the most significant destruction. Beledweyne, the regional city with the highest population density, has witnessed the displacement of thousands of families. Heavy rainfall caused the Shabelle River, which flows through the town, to breach its banks.
Dujarric warned that if the rains persist in Somalia and the Ethiopian highlands, an estimated 1.6 million people could be affected, with more than 600,000 facing displacement.
As water levels rose in Beledweyne, numerous vital facilities, including government offices and the main hospital, were forced to shut down, according to residents. Some individuals described the flooding as the worst they had ever witnessed.
Abdifitah Ahmed, a resident of Beledweyne, shared the challenges he faced while walking through the inundated area. “It was very difficult for me to walk this morning because of the amount of water,” he explained. “As you can see, this situation is getting worse as the amount of water increases.”
Hussein Yusuf, another resident, expressed the extensive property damage caused by the floods. “This flood is larger than any flooding in recent memory that has ever occurred in this region,” he lamented.
Somalia, one of the world’s poorest nations, is grappling with multiple crises. Apart from the flooding, other regions are confronting drought conditions, while an ongoing insurgency by Islamic extremist fighters opposing the federal government in the capital city of Mogadishu adds to the nation’s challenges.
Image Credit: JEROME DELAY/AP
