Floods in Horn of Africa

NAIROBI, 1 May 2003 (IRIN) - Large areas of the Horn of Africa, particularly in Somalia, are likely to be affected by flooding due to recent heavy rains, a report has warned.

According to the Weather Advisory for the Greater Horn of Africa (WAGHA) - published by the US government's Famine Early Warning System (FEWS) and partners - the areas most likely to be affected in the next three days include the Juba and Shabelle river basins in southern Somalia, and the Nyando, Nzoia and Migori river basins in Western and Nyanza provinces of Kenya.

Abdi Egal, a Somali businessman in Kismayo, told IRIN on Thursday that the Juba valley had already been flooded, with thousands of hectares of farmland inundated.

He said the floods had destroyed farms and properties in both the Lower Juba and Middle Juba regions.

"We are experiencing rains not seen for years," he added. "If it continues at the current rate, the situation will worsen and a lot more people will be seriously affected in areas close to the [Juba] river."

WAGHA said that in Lower Shabelle, with the river "already at full-level discharge", there was a high risk of flooding in the towns of Beled Weyne, Jowhar and Afgoi - all on the banks of the river.

The report said that in the short term, the weather forecast indicated ongoing abnormally heavy rains over the next three days in the western highlands of Kenya, the eastern lowlands of Ethiopia, and southern Somalia. "Consequently, sustained and continued rainfall could lead to a greater area being affected by floods," it warned.

It said weather forecasts indicated a decline in rainfall towards mid-May over the eastern sector of the Greater Horn region.

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