Cyclone Sagar Leaves Trail of Destruction in Somaliland

[Deeq A.]

 

Communities in the coastal areas of Somaliland and major portions of Awdal district, as well as some coastal communities in Puntland are still reeling from the impact of tropical cyclone Sagar. The cyclone, one of the strongest storms ever recorded in Somalia, left an entire year’s worth of rain in a matter of hours, according to SWALIM. It left in its trail death, floods and strong winds, as well as the destruction of farmland and infrastructure. Thousands of livestock were killed and civilians displaced.

The impact of the cyclone has affected communities that were still recovering from prolonged drought.
Somaliland’s Lughaya, Zeylac and Baki districts, in Awdal region, bore the brunt of the impact; some 51 villages in five districts were affected overall. The disaster management authority, NADFOR, estimates that 49 people were killed and 70 others are still missing. Nearly 168,000 people were directly affected. Some 277 hectares of land have been destroyed in the affected villages. Key infrastructure, including roads, fishing boats, medical facilities, boreholes and water wells were damaged. Over 80 per cent of community shelters have been destroyed and 33 schools were affected. Priority needs include food,
WASH, health services, shelter and non-food items. The heavy rains and disturbance of tracks have hindered humanitarians’ ability to access some affected areas.

In Puntland, flash floods in Bari left three people dead and damaged the road linking the town of Bossaso to areas in the south. Humanitarians have reported that 3,600 families were affected. The worst-affected areas include the coastal towns of Bareeda, Caluula, Gumbax, Murcanyo, Xaabo and some parts of Qandala. Houses and fishing boats were washed away. Agricultural land was also swamped. Access to most of the affected areas is a challenge. Another tropical storm, Cyclone Mekunu, formed in the northern Indian Ocean on 21 May but did not cause much damage in the coastal areas of the Bari region of Puntland where it was felt. Meanwhile, armed clashes in Tukaraq town in Sool region have displaced nearly 2,500 households. This, is compounding the humanitarian situation and further hampering assistance.

UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs