Tuesday, May 24, 2016
Photo | File photo/Ergo
(ERGO) - Hundreds of families have been forced to flee their homes in Beletweyne after the river Shabelle burst its banks.
The people moved to higher ground on the outskirts of town after flood water began to floods through many neighborhoods. Some families are stranded and have not been able to move out with their belongings.
Ali Abdi Hassan said his 11 member family is being hosted by a family in Bundoweyn neighborhood. Their own house was flooded leaving food stocks and household items destroyed.
“I left everything at home except these clothes I am wearing now, everything else is ether wet or carried away by the water,” Ali said.
The floods have brought business and transport to a standstill. The town has had no electricity for more than a week. Omar Mohamed Ma’alim, 32, said he and his family of four were hosting six displaced families in his home in Radarka area. The floods carried away his water pump and people are being forced to drink from the river.
“Our foods stocks are almost finished,” Omar said. “We are not alone, there are several other neighborhoods that are affected by the floods like Hilla’a, Hegan and Labdhere.”
The chairman of Beletweyne district Omar Aden Ibrahim told Radio Ergo described the current floods as the worst in more than 30 years.
Qali Mire Geedi managed to flee the town and moved to higher ground, five km outside town, with her 10 children. She told Radio Ergo the water carried away 20 of her goats leaving her with only 10. “We don’t have shelter, food or clean water. We slept under a tree,” she said. Qali said her family was depending on support from other displaced families.
The chairman of the district said they started trucking fresh water on Monday from wells 15 km away to displaced families camped at Eljalle. Each household is being given 20 litres of water.