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Water Everywhere, Food Scarce as Flooding Displaces Somalis

Mohamed Sheikh Nor

   BELEDWEYNE, SOMALIA - Hussein Abdi lost his younger brother and several
   close friends last week when floodwaters swept away their house in
   Somalia.
   Abdi is overwhelmed with sadness. He said thethebiggest tragedy was
   losing his brother, who was a father of 10 children.

   "The youngest child was just born on November 4," he said, adding that
   "this was really the saddest moment in my entire life."
   The flooding,caused by heavyseasonalrain,has killed at least 21 people
   in central Somaliaand has displaced over 270,000 people. Food is scarce
   in some areas,and relief shipments are having troublereaching their
   destinations.
   Many have sought refuge in camps like this one near the submerged town
   ofBeledweyne.

   Abdi Abdullahi, head of the Somali Red Crescent Society, said an
   estimated53,000 families had been displaced by flooding. He said the
   Red Crescent Society had evacuated 117 people from the water and had
   found seven dead bodies.
   Continued heavy rains were hampering delivery of aid to Somalis in
   need.Amina Ali, one of those displaced, saidfood was becoming very
   scarce.

   Ali said many people died inthe floods and others fled. "We were among
   those who survived that tragedy," she said. "We only have water to
   drink but nothing to eat."

   Appeal for aid

   The Somali government made an urgent appeal for aid and wasscrambling,
   with international agencies, to bring in more food, said
   AbdullahiGodah, minister of higher education and the current deputy
   chairman of the Disasters Emergency Committee.
   Godahsaid it was true that people were complaining about a lack of
   help, because only 3,000 families had so far received aid. Theneed is
   very high, he acknowledged.
   Many Somalis hope to also see a longer-term solution, such as a flood
   defense system, to prevent this recurring tragedy and the losses to
   property and life.

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