FAO warns of high risk of severe flooding in Somalia
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At least 150,000 people face flood warnings as river levels rise
8 May, 2021/Mogadishu – Thousands of people in Somalia are at immediate risk from imminent floods as river levels in parts of the country continue to rise. The Shabelle River has risen at an alarming rate over the past week due to unprecedented and excessive rains. Rains on the upper parts of the Ethiopian highlands are causing large volumes of water to flow rapidly towards Somalia. As with the previous 3 years, FAO s SWALIM flood bulletin released today, warns of a flood wave likely to inundate Belet Weyne, one of the largest cities in Somalia, in the coming days. The level of damage expected could supersede the mitigation and risk measures that have already been implemented, such as rehabilitating river embankments and, as in recent years, a limited evacuation from flood prone areas and extensive crop damage is likely to result.
2021-05-08 18:06:07 GMT2021-05-09 02:06:07(Beijing Time) Xinhua English
MOGADISHU, May 8 (Xinhua) The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) on Saturday warned of high risk of severe flooding in Somalia amid rise in river levels.
FAO s Somalia Water and Land Information Management (FAO-SWALIM) flood bulletin released in Mogadishu warns at least 150,000 people are at immediate risk from imminent floods as river levels in parts of the country continue to rise due to torrential rains.
Ezana Kassa, Head of Programme for FAO in Somalia said in a statement that it is time to act to ensure the safety and wellbeing of the people who will be affected by this unprecedented flood.