SOMALIA: Torrential rains kill seven, render thousands homeless

[ This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations]

HARGEYSA, 6 Jun 2005 (IRIN) - At least seven people drowned and thousands of villagers were rendered homeless when flash floods hit Bu'ale district in the Middle Juba region of southern Somalia at the weekend, witnesses and community leaders said on Sunday.

Large tracts of farmland were also inundated following torrential rains on Saturday night and Sunday morning. Hectares of farmland that had already been planted with crops were devastated, and food stocks stored underground was also washed away.

According to elders in the affected areas, the Juba River burst its banks, flooding more than 30 villages in the district. More than 500 huts were swept away and at least 120 animals killed.

An elder from one of the hardest hit areas, Farah Mohamud, told IRIN that an elderly woman and two children were among the seven people who had been confirmed dead.

The floodwater submerged some villages and destroyed roads linking Bu'ale to the towns of Jilib and Afmadau. Local officials said most of the affected areas were still inaccessible, raising fears that the number of casualties could be higher.

Many displaced families moved to higher ground, and some sought refuge at a nearby school in a hilly area.

Most Bu'ale district residents are farmers and irrigate their crops with water from the Juba River. They grow sorghum, maize, beans, fruits and vegetables, which they sell to local traders and businessmen from other regions.

Those affected also included hundreds of pastoralists who had migrated from drought-stricken areas in search of pasture and water.

Flooding was also reported in Qardo town in the self-declared autonomous region of Puntland, northeastern Somalia, following heavy rains. At least one person was killed, hundreds of huts were damaged and crops and livestock were swept away.

Last month, flooding in the Hiiran region of south-central Somalia displaced thousands of families and inundated many hectares of farmland in and around Beletweyne, the regional capital.

[ENDS]