(ERGO) – Around 400 families are sleeping outside or under makeshift shelters on the outskirts of Ba’adweyne, 200 km south of Galkayo, after heavy rains caused flooding that inundated their houses in a low-lying area in this part of south Mudug.
Mohamed Abdullahi Yakub and his family of 12 have spent more than 10 days in a tent that he bought for $20 on credit from a store owner in Shabelow. They pitched the tent outside the town. He said they had received some food from the local but it had run out. It is hard to find food even if people have money, as the food stores are also under water.
Mohamed told Radio Ergo that tides of flood water gushed through his house at night on 11 May. He was able to rescue his children. The flood waters washed away their food and belongings. He does not know if his three-room brick house is still standing, as he has not been able to get there again due to the floods.
The commissioner of Ba’adweyne, Ahmed Dahir Ma’alin, told Radio Ergo that most of those affected were poor families with unstable income. Many had lost their sources of income, because gravel quarries and other business were also under water.
He said the administration was informing people where they should camp or put up shelters in order to avoid further flooding. They collected some funds from better off families but could not cover all the needs of those displaced.
Galmudug Disaster Management Agency, which was set up last year, reported that a total of 50,000 people have been affected in various ways by recent rain and floods. They include IDPs, pastoralists, and town dwellers. The major needs include food and shelter. The agency said 5,000 families have been displaced and 1,300 animals reported killed.
