‘The city was underwater’: quarter of a million Somalis flee flooded homes
Climate crisis a key factor in flash flooding of Beledweyne as rains end drought and Shabelle River breaks its banks
Reuters in Mogadishu
Wed 17 May 2023 19.22 BST
Floods have caused almost a quarter of a million people to flee their homes after the Shabelle River in central Somalia broke its banks and submerged the town of Beledweyne, even as the country faces its most severe drought in four decades, according to the government.
Aid agencies and scientists have warned that the climate crisis is among the most significant factors accelerating humanitarian emergencies, while those affected are some of the least responsible for CO2 emissions.
Seasonal rains in Somalia and upstream in the Ethiopian highlands triggered flash floods that washed away homes, crops and livestock, and temporarily closed schools and hospitals in Beledweyne, the capital of Hiiraan region, local residents said.
“At once the entire city was underwater. Beledweyne itself became like an ocean,” said shopkeeper Ahmed Nur, whose business was washed away. “Only the roofs of the houses could be seen. We used small boats and tractors to rescue people.”
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/ ... mes-floods
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