Hassan Istiila
Tuesday November 14, 2023
Baidoa (HOL) - A delegation led by Deputy Prime Minister Salah Ahmed Jama arrived in Baidoa on Tuesday to assess the situation of people affected by the floods caused by torrential rains.
The delegation, which includes the commissioner of the Somalia Disaster Management Agency (SoDMA), members of aid organizations, and international partners, visited IDP camps and the most vulnerable people.
During a meeting with the South West State Government, Abdaziz Hassan Mohamed Laftagareen, Mr. Jama urged the regional leaders and aid agencies working for relief to consolidate all ongoing efforts to provide emergency assistance to people and prevent waterborne diseases.
The Deputy Prime Minister's visit to Baidoa comes a day after President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud led an emergency meeting of the Council of Ministers to discuss the impact of floods caused by heavy rains in several parts of the country.
At least 33 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. Since October, floods have displaced nearly half a million people and disrupted the lives of over 1.2 million, Minister of Information Daud Aweis told reporters in the capital, Mogadishu.