Devastating floods caused by the outburst of the Shabelle River have displaced approximately 700 families and resulted in the deaths of two children in Boodaale near Bal’ad, Middle Shabelle region, Somalia. Other villages, including Xawaadleey, have also been affected, with 2,000 families displaced and 400 hectares of crops damaged or destroyed, leading to one of the worst humanitarian crises in the area.
The flooding began steadily in early August 2021, but during September, it spread to dozens of villages mainly inhabited by the predominantly farmhand Somali Bantu, who are considered one of the most marginalized groups in the country. The disaster has particularly affected women, children, and the elderly.
The main challenges facing the community are a lack of food and shelter. The flood victims are predominantly labourers (small-scale farmers) whose farmlands were destroyed and whose crops were washed away by the severe flooding of the Shabelle River.
The project will provide food and shelter for 700 female-headed families. Each family consists of 5-10 members from the most vulnerable communities.
Before the current flood disaster, these people’s lives primarily depended on farming and rearing chickens. Most of the victims are women, children, and older people.
These victims deserve special attention and care in relief, emergency, and recovery programs.
The project’s long-term goal is to save the lives of these people who are in danger due to the lack of shelter and food, helping them to resume everyday life once the river water subsides.
Our team is on the ground, responding to the needs of local communities in the town. Thanks to your generous donations, we have been able to deliver life-saving assistance to some of the most vulnerable victims and are doing our best to respond to the crisis. However, the situation is still far beyond our capacity.
We need your urgent support to help us reach more people, save more lives, and reduce the scale and severity of the problem for the affected population.
Our current priorities are providing food, temporary shelter, blankets, mosquito nets, and medical supplies, among other immediate needs, to the 700 families severely affected by the flooding in Boodaale.
Just £70 can provide an Emergency Pack. Please donate today and help us ease the plight of those suffering this dreadful nightmare.
Besides the emergency assistance, they will need a recovery program to help them start farming once again to restore complete normalcy.
