Situation overview:
An estimated 70,000 people, according to partners, have been displaced by floods in Belet Weyne in Hiraan region as a result of the rising water levels in the Shabelle River following heavy rains in the Ethiopian highlands. Nearly 60 percent of Belet Weyne town is inundated by flood waters. According to the local community the current floods are the worst since 1981. Most of the displaced people are reportedly staying with relatives in neighbouring Banaaney, Ceel Jaale, Faafgumarey, Ilkacado, Jawil and Shiirkaneco villages. Ceel Jaale has received the highest number of the displaced.
Increasing river levels in the lower part of Shabelle River, specifically Jowhar where river levels are already high, are expected to come as a result of the large amounts of water from the upstream areas, according to the 27 May 2016 Somalia Water and Land Information Management (SWALIM) advisory. This has the potential to put a strain on response systems now focused on the Belet Weyne area. With the reduction of rainfall projected, the river level is expected to reduce in the coming few days. The early warning system developed by partners and the local authorities was able to inform the population of raising waters and allowed them to move with their assets, so as to minimize loss of life and property. Nevertheless, the displacement could last for up to two months based on previous experience.
The situation in Belet Weyne has been worsened due to increased tension following recent fighting between Gaaljecel and Jijeele clans. The clashes reportedly left nearly 40 people dead and another 40 wounded. According to the Protection Cluster, some 6,500 people have fled their homes to Hawlwadaag neighborhood over the last three months following the fighting between the two clans. The fighting, which disrupted humanitarian and commercial operations in the town, finally subsided on 21 May 2016 through a locally brokered cease-fire.