5 members of family die as house collapses in Mogadishu following heavy rains

[Deeq A.]

Mogadishu (Caasimada Online) – Five members of a family including four children were killed when portion of their house collapsed following heavy rains in Mogadishu on Sunday night.

The incident occurred at Wadajir district in the capital during the wee hours of the night while the victims were at sleep.

‘’A mother and her four children died in the terrible incident’’ said a local resident who visited the site of the accident.

The heavy downpour also hit hard in other parts of the capital leaving hundreds of people homeless and destroyed property of unknown value.

The bodies of the victims were retrieved from the drenched debris after the overnight downpour. Added the local resident.

On 27 April, massive flash flooding swept through the city of Qardho in the northeastern Bari region, part of the autonomous Puntland state. At least 10 people have died and several others are thought to be missing. Hundreds of families have reportedly lost their homes.

The rains are likely to increase the risk of water-borne diseases,” UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) warned in its latest report on the impact of floods in Somalia.

The forecast by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) also indicated that the moderate to high flood risk is likely to persist at least through mid-May.

According to the UN, river levels have risen along the Shabelle basin and there is a high risk of flooding in coming days and advised riverine communities in BeletWeyne to prepare for possible relocation during the week.

The UN said more than 100,000 people in South West State have been affected by floods while Jubaland has more than 11,800 flood-affected displaced families reported in Lower Juba region.

The UN agency warned that the ongoing Gu (rainy season)’s flooding will exacerbate the humanitarian situation, joining the COVID-19 pandemic and locust infestation to form a “Triple Threat”.

It said disruptions to transport due to damaged roads and COVID-19 restrictions have pushed food prices up in some affected areas.