Hundreds of thousands displaced following flash flooding in Somalia

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Around 200,000 people have been displaced due to flash flooding in central Somalia as the Shabelle River burst its banks and submerged roads.

Residents of Beledweyne town in Hiran region were forced out of their homes as heavy rainfall caused water levels to rise sharply.

Sitting in a makeshift tent, Fartun Ali (not her real name) said she and her eight children fled their home in the middle of the night when the waters hit the town four days ago.

“Whenever the river breaks the banks, we flee. It is the fifth time we’ve fled and come here as internally displaced people,” she said.

The region’s deputy governor, Ali Osman Hussein, said the number of people displaced could still rise, adding that they “are doing all we can to help those who are affected”.