By Asma Mohamud - Reporter
Somalia, 12 May 2026 Beletweyne faces flooding after water levels in the Shabelle River rose sharply, a FAO SWALIM report warned.
FAO SWALIM, the Somalia Water and Land Information Management project managed by the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), provides flood warnings, rainfall data and river monitoring services across Somalia.
The flood advisory issued on Monday said the river level in Beletweyne had reached 6.75 metres, which is 0.25 metres above the moderate flood-risk threshold of 6.50 metres.
The report said water levels had risen by 0.55 metres over the past week and were now 1.01 metres higher than the same period in 2025 and 1.14 metres above the long-term average.
It also added that river levels were continuing to rise in downstream areas including Bulo Burte, Jowhar, Balcad and Afgooye, with Jowhar reaching 4.88 metres, only 0.12 metres below the moderate flood-risk threshold.
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The agency said recent rainfall in Somalia and upstream Ethiopian catchment areas had contributed to the continued rise in water levels along the Shabelle River.
FAO SWALIM warned that additional rainfall forecast over Hiran, Middle Shabelle, Banadir and Lower Shabelle regions, as well as upstream areas in Ethiopia, could further increase the risk of river flooding, particularly in low-lying areas and places with weak riverbanks.
The report said flooding could lead to displacement, disruption of transport and markets, damage to farms, homes and water sources, as well as public health risks linked to stagnant floodwaters.
FAO SWALIM and disaster management agencies urged communities living along the river to avoid flood-prone areas and follow official warnings and updates issued by authorities and humanitarian agencies.
Beletweyne is among Somalia’s most flood-prone cities, where thousands of families live in low-lying neighbourhoods close to the Shabelle River.