Torrential rains that battered Bardere for more than 10 hours left 2,500 families homeless as swept through their village.
The rains started early Thursday, causing residents of Bulo-Kurman, Bulo-kulow and Marwa villages on the south of the town to flee their homes.
Abdullahi Mohamed Hussein, a local elder, told Radio Ergo that he had not seen such flooding since 1997, when the El Nino hit the town.
He said the floods were caused by a seasonally dry river bed that ran through the town that had not been properly maintained. “In the time of the previous government, they used to remove sand and clean it before the rainy seasons. But now people throw garbage into it and there are plantations growing around it.”
He said the floods worsened the already tough conditions facing the district. “There has been no humanitarian assistance arriving in this town for a long time. I call on all well-wishers to come to our assistance and repair for us toilets and damaged houses.”
Habiba Muhumad Isse, 50, is a mother of five. She told Radio Ergo’s local reporter that she lost her house in the floods and she was now staying at a relative’s house.
Radio Ergo’s local reporter is among those affected by the floods. He said his house and toilet were destroyed and he and his family were now staying with relatives.
Most of the affected families have camped on open high ground at Sarinley, which is four km north of Bardere in Gedo region. They complain of lack of shelter, food and clean water.
