At least 100 people are feared
dead in a ferocious storm battering Somalia’s
northeastern Puntland region, the local
government said Monday, warning that
hundreds more are missing. The government in the semi-autonomous
region described the situation as a “disaster”,
with entire villages destroyed, and said it was
appealing for emergency international aid. “A tropical cyclone storm (has) wreaked death
and destruction… the storm brought high wind
speeds and torrential rains, causing flash
floods,” said a statement from Puntland’s
government. “Information collected from coastal areas via
irregular telephone contact over the past 48
hours indicates that up to 100 people might
have been killed, while hundreds of other
people remain unaccounted for,” it added. Puntland President Abdirahman Mohamed
Farole said the “crisis was immense”, with the
government declaring the situation a
“disaster”. The government is organising relief efforts,
but also appealed for international support. “Preliminary information also indicates that
homes, buildings, boats and entire villages
have been destroyed and over 100,000
livestock lost, endangering the livelihoods of
tens of thousands of local people,” the
government said. Heavy rains and fierce winds are expected to
continue until Wednesday, it added. “Affected coastal areas are in need of
emergency supplies of clean water, non-
perishable foods, medicines, emergency
shelter materials, and blankets,” the
government said, adding it was setting up
makeshift shelters for those made homeless. Local authorities in the coastal towns of Eyl and
Bandarbeyla said the remote settlements were
badly hit. “At least 11 people were killed and six others
injured in the Eyl area this morning alone,” said
Feisal Kalif, deputy commissioner of Eyl.
“People are confused, and the situation is
getting worse.” Somalia has been riven by civil war since the
collapse of central government in 1991. Impoverished Puntland, which forms the tip of
the Horn of Africa, is run by its own
government, although unlike neighbouring
Somaliland, it has not declared independence
from Somalia. The often lawless region is also home to
numerous warlords, as well as for many years
hosting pirate gangs who raided far out into the
Indian Ocean. Al-Qaeda-linked Shebab are also based in
Puntland, with bases in the rugged Golis
mountains, honeycombed with caves and
difficult to access. On Friday the insurgents staged a failed bid to
free comrades in prison in the town of Bosaso,
with up to 40 men involved in the raid. The impact of the storm will be a possible
complicating factor as Puntland gears up for a
presidential election due in early 2014, which
was suspended in July after the government
warned that the risk of violence was too great.
dead in a ferocious storm battering Somalia’s
northeastern Puntland region, the local
government said Monday, warning that
hundreds more are missing. The government in the semi-autonomous
region described the situation as a “disaster”,
with entire villages destroyed, and said it was
appealing for emergency international aid. “A tropical cyclone storm (has) wreaked death
and destruction… the storm brought high wind
speeds and torrential rains, causing flash
floods,” said a statement from Puntland’s
government. “Information collected from coastal areas via
irregular telephone contact over the past 48
hours indicates that up to 100 people might
have been killed, while hundreds of other
people remain unaccounted for,” it added. Puntland President Abdirahman Mohamed
Farole said the “crisis was immense”, with the
government declaring the situation a
“disaster”. The government is organising relief efforts,
but also appealed for international support. “Preliminary information also indicates that
homes, buildings, boats and entire villages
have been destroyed and over 100,000
livestock lost, endangering the livelihoods of
tens of thousands of local people,” the
government said. Heavy rains and fierce winds are expected to
continue until Wednesday, it added. “Affected coastal areas are in need of
emergency supplies of clean water, non-
perishable foods, medicines, emergency
shelter materials, and blankets,” the
government said, adding it was setting up
makeshift shelters for those made homeless. Local authorities in the coastal towns of Eyl and
Bandarbeyla said the remote settlements were
badly hit. “At least 11 people were killed and six others
injured in the Eyl area this morning alone,” said
Feisal Kalif, deputy commissioner of Eyl.
“People are confused, and the situation is
getting worse.” Somalia has been riven by civil war since the
collapse of central government in 1991. Impoverished Puntland, which forms the tip of
the Horn of Africa, is run by its own
government, although unlike neighbouring
Somaliland, it has not declared independence
from Somalia. The often lawless region is also home to
numerous warlords, as well as for many years
hosting pirate gangs who raided far out into the
Indian Ocean. Al-Qaeda-linked Shebab are also based in
Puntland, with bases in the rugged Golis
mountains, honeycombed with caves and
difficult to access. On Friday the insurgents staged a failed bid to
free comrades in prison in the town of Bosaso,
with up to 40 men involved in the raid. The impact of the storm will be a possible
complicating factor as Puntland gears up for a
presidential election due in early 2014, which
was suspended in July after the government
warned that the risk of violence was too great.
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