Stories from Somalia
Somalia: Floods in a Time of Drought
Somalia was still reeling from a devastating two-year drought when the rains began.
The heavy rainfall caused rivers to rise sharply and overflow their banks. In the worst-hit areas, farmland, infrastructure, and roads were destroyed by the floods. Making matters worse, thousands of cases of acute watery diarrhoea and cholera, malaria, and measles have been reported since the start of the year.
Medair’s emergency response team (ERT) travelled to a village that has been a cholera hotspot, aiming to prevent further damage or loss of life. Yusuf was with the ERT for the mission; he’s a father of three and a farmer who spends some time every day volunteering with Medair, promoting health and hygiene to families in his community. “Following the heavy rains, the roads were cut off and some of the farmlands were flooded,” said Yusuf.
"People were worried." Yusuf
The ERT used a boat to reach the village, where they assessed the crisis alongside community elders. The WFP donated 5,000 sandbags, which Yusuf and the team filled with sand, building dykes at vulnerable sites along the river to prevent overflowing. Over five days, the team built 29 dykes and promoted health and hygiene awareness, with special attention to the ways households could best survive in the event of flooding.
