Somalia: Thousands flee as Beledweyne city cut off by flooding

GETTY IMAGES/MOHAMED ABDIWAHAB

BELEDWEYNE, Somalia - Hundreds of thousands of Somali people have been affected by floods in Beledweyne town, including Internally Displaced Persons [IDPs], a UN agency said.

The Office of Coordination of Humanitarian Assistance [OCHA] said close to 200,000 were forced to abandon their homes in flood-prone low-lying areas of the town and exacerbating the humanitarian crisis.

The Shabelle River burst its banks at midnight on Tuesday night in some neighborhoods of Baledweyne, which caused the displacement.

"Now, Beledweyne, the capital of the Hiiraan province in Hirshabelle, is once again submerged in flood water after River Shabelle burst its banks," said a local resident.

So far, the office noted, the levels of water have risen significantly, forcing residents to flee from their homes to higher ground, taking whatever belongings they can carry. The local community, it added, has tried to mitigate the crisis by using sandbags.

"Water levels in Shabelle have risen significantly. Beledweyne and nearby villages are flooded. Partners estimate that close to 200,000 people including IDPs are leaving their homes," the agency confirmed through its official Twitter account on Wednesday.

"Families are urgently moving to higher grounds, taking whatever belongings they can carry," said the agency, which is mandated to coordinate humanitarian affairs. "Local communities and authorities are working hard to close river breakages using sandbags."

Flooding has perennially displaced people with rains coming after several months of dry spells in the country. Previously, local politicians and business owners have come together to fundraise for the victims, but there has not been any long-term solution to the menace.

"Affected people urgently need help, especially food, water, sanitation, and shelter. Partners are responding with what they have. More support is needed," the agency added while asking those in a position to start sending their donations to avert the looming crisis.

Beledweyne was the victim of major flooding by the Shabelle River bursting its banks in 1961, just months after Somali regions gained independence from Italy and Britain in 1960. The next big flooding was in 1981, exactly 20 years later.

The country is facing Al-Shabaab and hunger, making it difficult to dispatch resources to every sector at the moment. The United States, the UN, and the EU have been major financiers of the country in the past three decades, but their funding usually comes in a structured manner.

GAROWE ONLINE