At least 96 dead after extreme flooding puts Somalia into a state of emergency
First, some families fled drought and violence.
Now they say they have nowhere to hide from𒊎 intense flooding as rainfall exacerbated by the weather phenomenon El Niño pummels large parts of Somaliaꦅ.
Floods have killed at least 96 people, the country’s Council of Ministers said🔴 Thursday.
Among the worst-hit towns is the densely populated Beledweyne, where the Shabelle 𝓀River ha🀅s burst its banks, destroyed many homes, and caused thousands to flee to higher ground near the border with Ethiopia.
Hakജima Mohamud Hareed, a mother of four including one who is disabled, said her family constantly looks for shelter.
The family recently moved to Beledweyne, fleeing battles between the extremist group al-Shabab and Somali governmen♏t forces.
“We left our home in search of safety an🥀d stability, but little did we kn🌟ow that we would end up facing another calamity,” she said by phone.
In the displacement camp of Kutiimo in Beledweyne, the floods destroyed the family🀅🗹’s small, tattered tent.
The wind lashes the damp and flimsy fabric.
“The floods washed away all our beಞl🐭ongings, so we were left only with our lives,” she said. “It was a traumatic experience for all of us.”
They are not alone.
According to the humanitarian group Save the Children, the flooding has forced an estimated ♔250,000 people, or 90% of Beledweyne’s population, out of their homes.
S🍬omalia’s federal government declared a state♔ of emergency in October after extreme weather exacerbated by El Niño destroyed homes, roads, and bridges.
An El Niño is a natural, temporary, and occasional warming of part of the Pacific that shifts weather patterns across the globe, ofte🐻n by moving the airborne paths for storms.
It hits hardest in December through February.
Scientists believe clꦑimate change is m𝐆aking El Niño stronger.
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Many parts of Somalia, as well as in neighboring Horn of Africa nations Kenya and Ethiopia, are sti🍎ll receiving torrential rainfall in what aid agencies have described as a rare flooding phenomenon.
The U.N.-backed Somali Water and Land Information🅺 Management project has warned of “a flood event of a magnitude statistically ,” the U.N. food agency said in a recent sta🦄tement.
Some 1.6 million people in Somalia could be affected by flooding events in the rainy season lasting until Dᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚecember, it said.
Beledweyne, in the central region of Hiran, maybe the most devastated cꦑommunity.
As floodwaters swep𓂃🥂t through, homes were washed away.
Hakima said her family may🗹 be safe ꧙from flooding in their camp, but they are hungry and desperate for warm shelter.
“We ask our Somali brot✅hers and sisters to help us get out of this situation, as ꧒we are struggling to survive,” she said.
Mukhtar Moalim, tꦐhe owner of a retail shop, d♉escribed frantic attempts to save his property in Beledweyne’s market after the river burst its banks.
He and a relative swam towards t🍎he shop to tr𓃲y to prevent the water from flowing in, putting concrete blocks against the door.
B▨ut the water level keeps rising, also threatening their residence on the floor above the shop from which they monitor the destruction.
At least 53 people have been confirmed killed by flooding across Somalia, said Hassan Issee, who man💖ages emergency operations at the Somalia Disaster Management Agency.
“The situation is grave, and we are doing🌸 our best to provide relief to the affected ♑people,” he said.
Mogadishu, the Somali ca💙pital, has also been affected.
The city’s🌳 main streets, including the road to the airport, have flooded.
Speaking on Wednesday in the Dollow district of the Gedo region, where many families have been displaced by flooding, Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre urged the international 𝄹community to help.
“We are do👍ing our best, but we need more support,” he said.
