Somalia: floods leave dozens dead - UN

Dozens have been killed in flooding in Somalia that has affected nearly 1 million people and displaced over 400 thousand from their homes, according to the United Nations.

People struggled to wade through floodwater in the central Somalian city of Beledweyne after the Shabelle river burst its banks on Sunday and 1,200 people have been left marooned as roads are cut off.

The deluge left much of Beledweyne drenched and officials feared the flooding may spark the outbreak of diseases.

Hassan Elmi is a Beledweyne resident. He said, “the flooding here has affected the entire city. Yesterday the water marker was lower but this morning it is up again. Things have changed and as you can see people are very worried about their safety. The government is helping some people, but those who are too weak or old need more help because they cannot wade through these flooded streets because the water is moving too fast.”

At least 24 have died so far.

The flooding was caused by heavy rain, which also drenched the highlands of neighbouring Ethiopia.