People living in flood prone areas of Bardhere town in Gedo region have started shifting food rations and other basic necessities to safer ground.
People living in five neighborhoods which were badly affected by floods last year have begun preparing to move out of their houses for fear of being caught in the expected El Nino floods.
Ali Mohamud, who lives in Horseed estate, told Radio Ergo he had moved his food stores to Waaberi, an uphill estate in the northern part of the town.
“I am planning to move to that estate (Waaberi) should I see any signs of floods coming where I live now,” said Ali, who has so far moved all the light items in his household.
Local businessmen have started bringing in larger quantities of food products. Up to 50 trucks are reported to have off loaded in the higher area the past two weeks, according to businessman Ali Mohamed.
Mohamed said the town had enough food stocks for the next three months as a precaution in case floods cut off the roads.
Local farmers, however, fear there is little they can do to protect their crops and farmland in the upcoming planting season.
A member of the district’s farmers’ committee, Abdullahi Ali, said they don’t have bulldozers to repair the canals [cut for irrigation purposes] and have to do all work using manual labour.
A large irrigation channel cut through the centre of Bardhere to stream water from the river Juba is in urgent need of repair and poses a risk if the El Nino rains arrive.
Over 4,000 people were displaced by floods in April, in which several people as well as livestock were washed away.
