Western preconceptions about the nation of Somalia often feature arid swaths of land. An urgent humanitarian crisis could not look more different. Record-breaking rainfall arising from climate change is literally drowning villages under water. To convey these conditions, highschoolNGOconnectinvited Mr. Farah Ahmed Osman, co-founder of Development & Relief Solutions (DRESO), a Somali NGO, to paint the desperate picture.
Catastrophe Unfolds in Beletweyne Town
By Farah Ahmed Osman, Co-Founder, Development & Relief Solutions
Map Credit: Wikipedia
November 1, 2019 — What has happened in Hiiran, Beletweyne town is the worst catastrophe experienced in the region in the last decade. Flooding of the River Shabelle in Hiiraan and Lower Shabelle riverine areas has engulfed the lives many people and destroyed vast properties. Residents in a poor country are paying an awful price for climate change caused by the world’s wealthiest countries.
The collapse of riverbanks, high rainfalls in high lands and a fragile infrastructure contribute to the flooding. River Shabelle is the main source of irrigation for many pastoral and agro pastoral communities.
It would be hard to overestimate the devastation in flood-affected communities. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported on October 28 that 85 percent of Beletwyene town was submerged. Pictures show the whole town in water as locals struggle to move to safer grounds.
Farmers who derive livelihoods from river-based commerce have no assets left. Inland villages have not escaped harm. Nearly 150 vital irrigation canals have been destroyed or are on the verge of destruction unless assistance arrives. Without irrigation, crops fail and famine follows. Flooding also contaminates drinking water and kills farm animals. Bacteria growth brings diseases.
The Somali government this week sent in emergency supplies backed by humanitarian agencies to Beletweyne where about 170,000 people have been displaced according to OCHA.
Displacement has a particularly traumatic impact on children, often placing them in high-risk circumstances that require specific protection measures. Many internally displaced children lose access to education, and many are also at risk of sexual violence or physical harm or social isolation.
The Somali Prime Minister Hassan Khaire has appealed to the international community to aid in humanitarian relief efforts.
A statement from the Prime Minister’s office Wednesday noted the PM has sought the help of ‘Somalia’s friendly countries’ and the international community in support of humanitarian efforts in Beletweyne and other parts of the country that are under water.
Noting the government had put in emergency response to avert further suffering, the PM said, there were still huge challenges in dealing with the flooding menace. The PM warned that the situation needs to be arrested as soon as possible to avoid further deterioration and also emphasized need to invest in long-term measures.
See also: Into The Breach (highschoolNGOconnect August 19, 2019)
Photo credits: DRESO
