Elderly, children evacuated by boats as floods ravage Beledweyne

Overflows from the Shabelle river continued Saturday flooding the entire Betedweyne town as residents lurched on any means available to move to higher grounds with most houses now submerged in water.

In some villages, the elderly and children were evacuated by volunteers using boats as they were not able to wade through the water.

Business in the town has been halted as shops and warehouses have been filled with water.

More than 100,000 people have been displaced to the east of the city, especially in the area of ​​El Jalle where people have built everything they can find and others sleep under the trees.

The Somali government announced yesterday a Cabinet-level committee to work on emergency relief for flood-displaced people in need.

The chairman of the committee, the Minister for Assistance and Disaster Management Hamid Said Hamsa told the media that the committee will be heading to Beledweyne to provide relief to the displaced people.