Hassan Istiila
Saturday April 27, 2024
Mogadishu (HOL) - The Shabelle River, flowing through Beledweyne, the capital city of the Hiiraan region, brought a significant volume of water on Friday, causing concern among residents in the surrounding neighborhoods.
The increased water levels are attributed to heavy rainfall in the Hiiraan region and the Somali territory of Ethiopia, leading to overflow into the Shabelle River. The river's water level is now nearing its peak.
Local officials reported on Thursday that the Shabelle River had flooded multiple areas near Jowhar town in the Middle Shabelle region.
Mohamed Bashir Qasim Daqare, Deputy Minister of Agriculture in Hirshabelle, stated that the floods have affected several areas, including Baarey, Marerey, Kukaay, Mandere, Hawadley, and Bayahaw.
The Somali Disaster Management Agency (SoDMA) recently warned that the floods are likely to impact districts such as Jowhar, Beledweyn, Buulaburde, Luuq, Dolow, and other major towns where rivers do not flow, particularly in the regions of Bay, Bakool, Gedo, and Lower Juba.
Kenya and other countries in East Africa — a region highly vulnerable to climate change — have been lashed by severe downpours in recent weeks.
The Kenyan government Spokesman Isaac Mwaura said on X on Friday that the flooding and heavy rains in Kenya have killed at least 70 people since mid-March.
In Tanzania, Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa said flooding and landslides caused by weeks of heavy rain have killed 155 people and injured 236 others. Kassim Majaliwa told Parliament that the El Nino climate pattern has worsened the ongoing rainy season, causing flooding and destroying roads, bridges and railways.