Mogadishu Somalia (Axadle) — A violent burst of rain and wind swept through Elasha Biyaha and Alamada in Somalia’s Lower Shabelle region on Friday, killing four people, including a mother and two of her children, and destroying fragile shelters used by displaced families, FIVE Somali TV reported.
The storm raged for about four hours, ripping apart makeshift homes constructed with corrugated iron sheets. Several other people were injured.
Fadumo Mphamed, a resident who took part in the rescue operation, said she ran to the scene after a family’s shelter caved in. Searchers found the bodies of a mother and her breastfeeding baby. Her 12-year-old son was rescued alive from the debris but later succumbed to his injuries at a local hospital.
A young boy from a neighbouring household also died in the storm.
Most of the families hit by the disaster were internally displaced people who had escaped drought and conflict in other parts of Somalia. After losing homes and livelihoods once before, they now face renewed hardship after the weather destroyed the temporary shelters they depended on.
Officials from the Lower Shabelle regional administration and the chairperson of the Somali National Commission for Refugees and IDPs toured the damaged areas after the storm.
Addressing reporters, the commission’s chairperson said authorities had already cautioned communities about the danger posed by heavy rains and powerful winds linked to El Niño.
“The little rain that fell was associated with El Niño, yet it caused this destruction. Even more severe conditions are expected, and IDPs across the country are likely to be among the worst affected,” he said.
He called on displaced families to stay away from flood-prone locations and other areas exposed to weather-related threats.
The fatalities have underscored the extreme vulnerability of many displaced Somalis living in temporary settlements. Structures built from iron sheets and other improvised materials provide scant protection when severe rain and winds strike.
For families already battered by drought, hunger and conflict, the storm has delivered another painful blow.
As officials warn that harsher weather may still be ahead, the tragedy points to the urgent need for safer housing, rapid emergency support and stronger early warning systems to shield displaced communities
