Wednesday November 15, 2023
Beledweyne (HOL) - The death toll from the Shabelle River flooding in Beledweyne, the capital of the Hiiraan region, has risen to eight people, according to local officials on Wednesday.
The administration of Baledweyne town revealed that the floods have resulted in massive property losses and the most significant displacement in the past few years.
Nadar Tabax, the mayor of Baledweyne town, expressed concern that the response of aid organizations was slow, contributing to the prolonged crisis. She called for immediate assistance to the flood-affected people in the town and nearby areas.
Reports indicate that over 40 people, including children and a government soldier, have been killed in the latest floods in south and central Somalia, particularly in Hirshabelle, Jubbaland, and South West states.
According to the World Food Programme (WFP), a quarter of Somalia's population is projected to face "crisis-level hunger or worse" this year due to drought and floods caused by climate change.
Floods that have uprooted hundreds of thousands of people in Somalia and neighbouring countries in East Africa following a historic drought earlier this year have been described by the United Nations as a once-in-a-century event.