Shabelle river displaces hundreds, destroys farmland as FAO warns heavy rainfall both in Somalia and Ethiopia

by: Super Admin | 15 May 2021 07:33

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Shabelle river displaces hundreds, destroys farmland as FAO warns heavy rainfall both in Somalia and Ethiopia

MOGADISHU, Somalia (Horn Observer) Hundreds of people have been displaced & large farmlands of newly sown crops destroyed by floods after a Shabelle river burst its banks in Baarey & Moyko villages near Jowhar officials said, as the Food and

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Hundreds of people have been displaced by flooding near Jowhar in Hirshabelle State of Somalia. Photo courtesy: @Moalimuu

MOGADISHU, Somalia (Horn Observer) Hundreds of people have been displaced & large farmlands of newly sown crops destroyed by floods after a Shabelle river burst its banks in Baarey & Moyko villages near Jowhar officials said, as the Food and Agricultural Organizataion warned rising water levels along the Juba and Shabelle Rivers both in Somalia following heavy rains in Ethiopia in the previous weeks.

Hirshabelle administration based in the town of Jowhar accused the federal government of Somalia for blocking the international aid to help curb the flooding, a claim refuted by Somalia’s government as the Shabelle river broke its banks in and around Jowhar town, nearly besieging the town.

"The rainfall forecast for the period between May 12 -18, 2021 pointed towards a light to moderate rains within the upper parts of the Ethiopian highlands. The flood wave from the Ethiopian highlands along the Shabelle River continued to stream into Somalia leading to a gradual increase in river levels” The Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) alongside Somalia Water and Land Information Management (SWALIM) said in a statement.

The statement noted that the coastal areas of Nugaal, Mudug, and Galgaduud regions experienced heavy rains leading to flash floods in some areas. The UN food agency has warned at least 150,000 people are at immediate risk from imminent floods as river levels in parts of the country continue to rise due to torrential rains.

Just last week, at least 9 children were killed by flooding in Somalia’s capital Mogadishu, five of them in a single family, after the city experienced heavy flooding, according Somali Red Crescent Society.