SOMALIA: BARDERA: VITAL FOOD SUPPLIES DELIVERED TO FLOOD VICTIMS

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• published: 21 Jul 2015
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English/Nat Helicopters have delivered vital food supplies to the Bardera region of Somalia, reaching civilians whose lives have been devastated by recent floods. The disaster has claimed the lives of about 1-thousand-800 people in the Juba and Shabelle valleys, after flooding attributed to the El Nino weather phenomenon. Torrential rains made more than 250-thousand people homeless, forcing international aid agencies to use boats and helicopters to deliver food and medicine to stricken areas. A massive aid operation got underway on Sunday to regions of Somalia devastated by recent flooding. Helicopters flown by U-N aid workers delivered food and medical supplies to thousands of people cut off by the floods. Although the water level has receded and the sun is now shining on the Bardera region, the scene is not the same across the rest of the country. The river valley around Juba is still under water. The population of Bardera is now facing a failed harvest after their crops were completely washed away. SOUNDBITE: (English) "All agricultural food items, local items, either cash crop items and local food consumption which were in the stores, were completely washed away." SUPER CAPTION: Somali food aid official The floods have claimed the lives of about 1-thousand-800 people, while nearly 250-thousand people have been made homeless and 33-thousand livestock killed. Aid agencies are now concerned about the onset of malaria and waterborne diseases such as cholera. Some officials believe this huge problem cannot be alleviated by the intervention of the international community. SOUNDBITE: (English) "It will affect us too much. We do not expect any support from the international community to rehabilitate this. There will be great problems." SUPER CAPTION: Somali food aid official Aid agencies say they've been working closely with local authorities around Bardera, but cite a lack of central government as the reason for slow progress. Somalia's six (m) million people have been without a central government for five years, following the ousting of President Siad Barre. You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/youtube/82f29894a60d57b3de8bd4dc81631b9d Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork