Heavy rains that caused the Shabelle River to overflow have led to displacement of 6,000 families in South Central Somalia. As part of the emergency response the Danish Refugee Council has distributed non-food items, safe drinking water and built latrines.

The town of Beletweyne in the Hiraan region is located on the river bank of the Shabelle River. Due to heavy rain at the end of May the level of the River rose to an exceptional level, overflowing the embankment and flooding a large surface of agriculture area and the main city Beletweyne.

As a result approximately 3,000 families have been displaced from the city center to the outskirt where people live under trees as shade and drink muddy water from the river. An additional 3,000 families have been displaced from their Riverine village to further away communities who can host them.

The Danish Refugee Council (DRC) took part in the flood response committee composed of various NGO staff and volunteers and has subsequently started an emergency response. To begin with the DRC has distributed non-food items – plastic sheeting, blanket, sleeping mat, kitchen set, bucket and water container – to 1560 families (around 10,000 people).

The emergency assistance has further been supported by UNHCR that has contributed non-food items to an additional 3,000 families, which is being distributed jointly by DRC and Save the Children employees to other displaced people who need basic shelter.

Due to the lack of safe drinking water and sanitation facilities, DRC has also with immediate effect started providing trucked water, a daily volume of 126,000 liter of safe drinking water is being distributed to approximately 10,000 people. Further DRC has build 65 latrines by now, more are under construction.

DRC has previously responded to various emergencies in the Hiraan region of Somalia, by providing trucked water or distributing Non-food items to displaced people. DRC is also supporting a mitigation plan of drought and flood by building river embankment along Shabelle river and water reservoirs in pastoral area.

DRC has been present in the Hiraan region since 2005 and are providing livelihood recovery support to the population with agriculture, income generating activities/vocational training, cash for work activities and repairing or building social infrastructure such as school, water facilities and road and market places.

This DRCs emergency response capacity in Hiraan is funded by SIDA.

Read more about the work of DRC in the Horn of Africa.

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