Reports from Middle Shabelle Province say that the Shabelle River began to burst its banks in Hawaadley settlement for the past hours yesterday. The floods affected the livelihood of the residents and the agricultural farms. Some families have been displaced from the settlement while others are coping with the floods in their residential areas. Officials were quoted as saying the overflow was due to heavy rains across the region which caused the Shabelle River to burst its banks and flooded important agricultural farms.
Hirshabelle Ministry of Agriculture in conjunction with Somali National Army (SNA) and African Union peace keeping troops set up areas in order to stop the flooding of Shabelle River. Many people fear that Shabelle River will burst its banks and cause floods in settlements in Hirshabelle since we are in the spring season where rain comes. Hirshabelle is among areas where floods affect. Heavy rainfall in parts of the Ethiopian high lands and rain which started in Hiiraan and Middle Shabelle province have led the Shabelle River bursting its banks.
Shabelle River is said to cause floods in the regions that it runs through once the water level rises. Once the water level of the Shabelle River decreases, sand choked the water passages while people dump wastes. Local organizations that are operational in Hiiraan, Middle and Lower Shabelle provinces are believed that they are not fully operational in these regions. They do not raise awareness to the local residents the problem that the Shabelle River may cause if the water passages choke.
The flooding of Shabelle River has been a project for quite some time but they are not well prepared for the disaster it may cause. The previous administrations are blamed for not taking the responsibility of doing their duties and to prevent the floods that the Shabelle River causes during the rainy season while we only witness the river bursting its banks.
The fear that the local residents have expressed when it comes to the floods caused by the overflow of the Shabelle River comes at a time when the Somali National Army (SNA) conducts operations against the militant group of Al-Shabab in Shabelle provinces.
The continuation of floods will be a problem to the Somali Federal Gov’t and Hirshabelle State particularly the Somali Troops to take over the areas the militant group seized in the East of Middle Shabelle province while residents are preoccupied dealing with the floods.
