About 20 villages in Middle Shabelle region are on the brink of possible flooding caused by the Shabelle River, Minister of Agriculture and Irrigation Said Hussein Eid has warned.
In a news conference attended senior ministry officials on Monday, Minister Eid has said following a recent assessment of the river water surface has risen into a level in which flooding is inevitable, risking to affect the 20 agricultural villages under Jowhar Town.
“We have now alerted our partners of international agencies and governments to help us prevent flooding.” he said.
Flooding in the two of Somalia’s agriculture-rich regions – Middle and Lower Shabelle – have become recurrent incidents every year causing losses of crops and sometimes lives.
Floods have always been attributed to heavy rains in Ethiopian highlands steaming down water to both Shabelle and Jubba rivers, but at times are resulted by breakage of river banks, according to United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization FAO-led Food Security and Nutrition Analysis Unit (FSNAU).
Mr. Eid noted the need for urgent rehabilitation or affected river banks and building new ones to help ease the risk of flooding.
Mohamud Hassan, the director general of the Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation predicted that if the flooding is not prevented, then it will be very challenging to contain the losses caused.
“The situation is worrisome. As we have now passed the drought, this is another problem in the looming.” he added.