Floods Continue in South Somalia

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Title: [SW News]MOGADISHU, XINHUA) Floods Continue in South Somalia
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Date: [Monday, May 29, 2000 10:44 AM EST ]

Floods Continue in South Somalia

Story Filed: Monday, May 29, 2000 10:44 AM EST

MOGADISHU (May 29) XINHUA - Floods continue raging with the rivers of Shabelleh and Jubba bursting their banks, devastating entire villages and farmlands in southern Somalia.

River Shabelleh has crushed its banks on 12 new points around Jowhar and Mahadday in Middle Shabelleh region.

According to the local authorities, the floods seriously affected 23 villages and displaced more than 7,194 families who are now scattered in the towns of Jowhar, Balad and villages which still remain above the water levels without food, shelter or medicine.

Hassan Nur Hassan, acting governor of the region, declared that the regional capital of Jowhar, 90 kilometers north of Mogadishu, was on the brink of becoming an island as the flood waters got closer to the town from every direction by the day.

The floods have already cut the road linking Jowhar town to the central regions including its immediate neighbor Hiran region.

The floods have also devastated farmlands exceeding 21,500 hectares in the region.

The floods are also endangering the road linking Jowhar town to Mogadishu, with the flood water in distance of less than 500 meters from the main road.

If this economically vital road is cut, Jowhar town will be left with only one very sandy road for its connection with the capital. Jowhar town depends much of its essential supplies on Mogadishu.

Jubba River, the largest in Somalia, has inundated more than 40 square kilometers between the towns of Jilib and Jamama of Middle and Lower Jubba regions.

Dozens of villages and thousands of hectares of farmlands have been washed away.

The floods from Jubba River have already caused serious economic setback for the southern port city of Kismayu, 500 kilometers south of Mogadishu, after the flood waters cut off the road linking the capital to Kismayu.

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