Beledweyne displaced families face eviction ahead of El Niño floods

In the Hiran region of central Somalia, hundreds of displaced families are facing a secondary crisis as they are evicted from temporary shelters in El Jalle. As heavy El Niño rains are forecast, homeowners who had built houses on the higher ground of El Jalle to avoid flooding in low-lying Beledweyne neighborhoods are reclaiming their properties.

The displaced populations, many of whom previously fled conflict and drought, are being forced back toward flood-prone areas near the Shabelle River. Families without the financial means to secure new housing are being left without shelter, with some reported to be sleeping under trees with minimal protection from the rain.

The situation is compounded by extreme poverty and food insecurity. Many of those displaced have lost their livelihoods to conflict involving Al-Shabaab, leaving them reliant on irregular manual labor and struggling to provide basic necessities for their children.