Hirshabelle Administration says Intense Floods have Blocked access to Jowhar

Intense floods have strongly damaged the access to Jowhar, transportation and small business in Hirshabelle state of Somalia. Officials said that floods have cut off roads on both sides of the city and displaced over 7,000 families in the area.

They also added that the planes can barely land at the regional airport and that a small boat is required to traverse the city. The regional President has recently called on emergency help for the community.

The UN had warned of imminent floods in central Somalia following heavy rains in the region noting thousands of families are at risk of displacement. The UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) said in a bulletin, central Somalia town of Beledweyne will likely be inundated by a flood wave in the coming days. At least 150,000 people face flood warnings as river levels rise.

FAO noted that besides the climate change factor in the floods, the deliberate breaking of river banks by farmers to irrigate their farms has aggravated the situation.
Heavy rains have pounded various parts of Somalia in the last week. At least nine children died in Mogadishu this past week as a result of floods in Mogadishu while hundreds of families were displaced in Jowhar.