Hassan Istiila
Wednesday November 8, 2023
Beledweyne (HOL) - Hundreds of families were displaced from the neighbourhoods of Beledweyne town in the Hiiraan region on Wednesday as the Shabelle River's water level rose, raising concerns of potential flooding in the town.
Residents from Hawo Takako, Bundaweyne, and Kooshin sought refuge in El-Jalle, a high-ground neighbourhood on the outskirts of town, out of fear of experiencing another flood in Beledweyne within a year.
Just hours ago, the Somali Disaster Management Agency (SoDMA) reported that heavy rains had triggered flooding, resulting in at least 29 fatalities and the displacement of more than 850,000 people in the south-central regions of Somalia.
Mohamed Moalim, the commissioner of the Somali Disaster Management Agency (SoDMA), revealed that over 305,000 people have been displaced throughout the country due to riverine flooding along the Juba and Shabelle rivers, which continue wreak havoc.