Heavy rains in Qoryoley over the past 10 days coupled with the river Shabelle bursting its banks have caused the destruction of crops across an estimated 35 – 40 hectares of farmland
District administration secretary Ibrahim Malaak Ibrahim said many farmers lost all their crops.
“I have personally lost three and half hectares of crops of maize and sesame,” said Ibrahim, who invested $750 in the farm planted two months ago.
Rukiya Hussein, a mother of eight, lost maize, sugarcane and sesame on a four-hectare plot.
“I invested a loan of $500 in my farm but unfortunately all that has now been lost and I have nothing left,” said Rukia. She had to leave her flooded house and go to stay with relatives in another part of town, where she was earning money doing casual labour plastering shanty houses.
Kusow Hassan Osman said he had lost his investment of $1,500 and had no means to feed his family of nine.
He said buildings at the livestock and vegetable markets and the slaughterhouse had been abandoned due to flooding. Up to 200 families are estimated to have been displaced.
