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The director of Somalia NGO consortium, Nimo Hassan, and a team of humanitarian organizations recently visited Baidoa and Beledweyne towns in Somalia to assess the humanitarian situation following floodings caused by El Nino rains.
We soon left behind the sight of the beautiful beaches and the sandy landscape after taking off from Mogadishu aboard a small commercial flight en route to Baidoa, the capital of Southwest State. My bird’s eye view was now attracted by the flourishing green flora, pools of water and goats, and sheep enjoying the fresh pasture.
This was not the case in the same areas nine months ago when I made several visits to Baidoa during the drought of 2021 – 2023. Then, the scenery that stretches between Mogadishu and Baidoa was dry, bare and dusty, with many pastoralists migrating to where they could find water and pasture.
With the current El Niño rains, water and pasture are in surplus, which means the world to the Somali pastoralists. However, voluminous water with strong current causes havoc – that is the case of what we saw in Baidoa.
Submerged
I could not sum up words to my observation – Baidoa is literally submerged. The El Niño rains that had pounded this city for days on, caused devastation that adversely impacted the local communities and the thousands of displaced people who sought refuge in Baidoa due to the conflict and the biting drought. Ironically, the same city had been the epicenter of the 2021–2023 drought.
As we struggled to wade through the city, it became evident that Baidoa is struggling to cope with the disastrous consequences of the heavy downpour. Entire neighborhoods were submerged with some areas, the water going above the knee. Homes destroyed and makeshift shelters, which many called home, were scattered at displaced people's camps.
The once bustling streets are now deserted, with only a few brave souls venturing out on small boats to navigate the flooded roads. The floodwaters had caused extensive damage to infrastructure, including roads, schools, and displaced people settlements, further exacerbating the challenges faced by the local communities who had been trying to come up with terms with the impacts of the biting drought.
A couple of days later, I visited the central Somali town of Beledweyne. During the drought of 2021 – 2023, Beledweyne, like many parts of Somalia, was hit by the severe drought. Even the giant River Shabelle, which wanders through the city, had nearly dried up.
From Drought to Floods
However, the situation is now different. As we flew closer to Beledweyne, people and cars were no longer on the streets – they have now been replaced by flood water, with homes submerged.
Due to its riverine topography, a combination of the torrential rains and the River Shabelle bursting its seams, swept through the city and destroyed many homes, forcing thousands to escape to the higher grounds near the border with Ethiopia. The El Niño has left the city marooned by water.
The devastation is heartbreaking. The floods have reinforced the urgent need for sustainable infrastructure and disaster preparedness. Investing in flood-resistant and early warning systems can save lives.
It is not only the local community who have been affected by the floods. Many of the displaced people living in small makeshift shelters in Beledweyne, faced a second disaster after the drought and fighting between government forces and armed groups drove them from their rural homes.
The appalling and deplorable situations not only Baidoa and Beledweyne which I had visited, but also others similarly affected towns like Baardheere, Doolow and Luuq in southern Somalia, are strong testimonies of a swing of two extreme climate events – drought and floods, both which claimed the lives of the Somali people. It also portrays the interconnectedness between climate change, displacement, and conflict.
What we have seen in these cities is a reminder of the urgent need for long-term solutions to address the impact of climate change. The interchange between severe drought and devastating floods has become a recurring cycle, pushing communities to the brink of survival.
As world leaders converge at COP28 in Dubai on Thursday, we appeal for prioritization of climate change financing to address disaster-induced climate change and adaptability in Somalia – one of the worst hit countries by the impact of climate change, despite its greenhouse emission being less than even one percent.