Somaliland government has warned communities living in coastal areas to move to higher grounds so as to avoid the dangers posed by a devastating cyclone which is expected to make landfall in the coming days.
The Minister in charge of Presidential Affairs Hon Mahmoud Hashi Abdi inspecting damage caused by recent torrential rains to a section of Hargeisa /Berbera highway said, “We have started through media broadcast to inform residents living the lower lands prone to floods to evacuate the safety of highland areas to safety so as thousands of the lives by preventing the loss of lives.
“The recent storm triggered days of heavy rains and flash floods that swept homes, boats, camels, goats and other farm animals into the sea from Bulhaar to Lughaya and with some areas still inaccessible after torrential flooding washed away roads to some isolated villages, no serious injury was reported except the loss of properties and destruction of few stone houses and unknown small huts made of sticks and clothes was destroyed.
The Presidential Affairs Minister added, “The displaced persons in those areas were provided with clean water, blankets, nonperishable foods, medicine and although the situation is now quiet stable people are willing to go back their homes but number of people have no place to go back due to the destruction of their houses, government staff and volunteers are assessing the situation with the collaboration of local administration.
“There is a particularly urgent need for temporary shelter to protect the many displaced and vulnerable people from the elements and he also ordered all governmental agencies and regional administration to provide any assistance they can to the hundreds of people affected by this devastating cyclone.” Hon Mahmoud Hashi Abdi said.
Hon Mahmoud Hashi Abdi lauded the Laas Geel district administrator and the director general of Somaliland roads authority for the quick response for deploying both manpower and equipment to the site in a bid to repair a section of road in lass geel district rendered impassable after being damaged by the rains and that the repair work was on ongoing.
