Prices of essential food items including rice, sugar and flour have risen sharply in Gedo’s Bardere district after heavy rains cut off supply routes.
The district relies on food transported from Mogadishu and Kismayo.
“No vehicles or commercial trucks transporting food and goods has entered our district during the past 40 days,” businessman Abdullahi Hussein told Radio Ergo’s local reporter.
Hussein said that a 50 kg sack of sugar, which previously sold at 660,000 Somali shillings, had risen to 830,000 Somali shillings; a 50 kg sack of flour was up from 700,000 to 900,000 Somali shillings; while 50 kg of rice previously 580,000 was now 900,000 Somali shillings.
He showed little hope in the re-opening of roads soon. “Heavy rains fell and worsened the condition of the roads…I don’t think roads will be ready for use soon.”
Hundreds of families displaced by the torrential rains that battered the town are still in urgent need of assistance. The food shortages and inflation of prices have as aggravated their already miserable situation.
Said Hassan, father of four, is among the displaced and is staying at a relative’s house. He told Radio Ergo’s local reporter he wanted to go back to his house and resume work as soon as the floods receded.
