Somalia appeals for urgent help after devastating floods

MOGADISHU, Somalia - Somalia’s president issued a desperate appeal for help, a day after flooding ravaged the country’s agriculture rich regions, killing more than 10 people and leaving several missing, Garowe Online reports.

During a meeting with the National Emergency Committee, clerics and business tycoons in Mogadishu, President Farmajo said his country needs "urgent support now" for thousands affected by flash flooding.

The call for assistance comes days after Somali PM Hassan Ali Khaire has appointed declared a national emergency committee after Beledweyne city suffered heavy flooding, thought to be the worst in years.

The town in Hiran region is prone to flooding, but it was not prepared for a disaster of this magnitude, said a local official, warning that if floods continue, the danger is very imminent.

At least 14 people were rescued, including a female mayor and former governor by local youth volunteers. Over 10 people still missing and presumed dead after a boat capsized outside the city on Monday.

The river floods have forced more than 72,000 people to flee their houses and in desperate need of assistance, including clean water, food and shelter while hundreds of residents are trapped in the city.

“The survivors require immediate shelter, medical and food assistance,” local volunteer, told Garowe Online.

Asha Jama, a mother of three who spent the night on the rooftop with her children after the floods submerged their house, said so far any government response had been absent.

“We have not received any food or blankets since the disaster began,” she told Garowe Online by phone.

Somali Government and International aid agencies working in Somalia said they were sending aid as quickly as possible to the flood-stricken regions in the country, including Gedo, Bakool, and Hiiraan.

The immediate needs of people affected are clean water and food, meanwhile, thousands of families who have lost their homes need shelter, and there are also serious health concerns, per local officials.

The ongoing torrential rains in some parts of the country prompted the River Shabelle which comes from Ethiopia to burst its banks, causing the mass displacement and destruction of the property and farmlands.

GAROWE ONLINE