Heavy rains and strong winds in Alula and surrounding villages of Bari region have forced 1,037 families to flee from their homes in the past two weeks. The rains have also killed livestock and washed away farmland and roads, making it hard for people to move from vulnerable areas to higher ground on the outskirts of the coastal town.
Herders
A survey by the local administration and figures from Radio Ergo’s with local residents indicate that at least 4,000 goats have been killed. Around 3,400 of them were in Bareedo village, according to Said Yussuf Diriye, who led a fact finding committee on the effects of the floods. Diriye, the head of Bareedo municipality, told Radio Ergo the loss of such a large number of livestock left many pastoralist families in poverty. For instance, one pastoralist family lost 370 goats and were left with only300 animals.
Mohamud Omar Ismail, who has been a herder for more than 60 years, fled with his family from a rural part of Bareedo to Toohin and Seymo villages outside of Alula. “I owned 270 goats, I am now left with only 20 heads. The herder who owned the least in our area had 150 goats and he is now left with only 25,” he said.
Farmers
Isnino Mohamed Ahmed, a mother of seven children, had a farm and a kiosk in Seymo which is part of Alula district. She lost all her property in the floods.
“My farm had 400 date palm trees and I am now left with only 50 after the rest were destroyed,” she said. She added that banana, mango and watermelon plants were also destroyed. She and her children were staying with relatives.
Roads
Roads in the hilly coastalr part of Alula and neighboring locations have been cut off by the heavy rains and flooding. Lafo-goray road nearr the sea is impassable. Hogaad road connecting Bareedo to locations in the north has also been cut off. The Jaanka road which connects Bareedo to the north-east parts of Puntland is also inaccessible.
Abdulkadir Yussuf Ahmed, provincial commissioner of Gardafuu, said the drive from Alula to Bareedo normally took one and a half hours now took six hours due to flooding on the road.
Fishermen have been docked due to dangerously high waves. Trade in town, normally reliant on imports from Yemen, has stopped. As a result, residents of Alula and neighboring areas are now facing difficulties in getting food and other basic commodities
