Shabele River
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The Shabele River (with numerous spelling variations, including Shabelle and Shabell, sometimes with Wabe or Webi prepended, Shabeelle in Somalia) begins in the highlands of Ethiopia, and then flows southeast into Somalia towards Mogadishu. Near Mogadishu it turns sharply southwest, where it follows the coast. Below Mogadishu the river becomes seasonal. Most years the river dries up near the mouth of the Jubba River, while in seasons of high rain the river actually reaches the Jubba and thus the Indian Ocean. In the past, the area of Shebelle River was very affected by tsetse, but it seems now to be eradicated at least in some parts of the Shabelle Valley.
In late April 2005, heavy rains generated widespread flooding throughout Somali Region, Ethiopia as well as Somalia, and caused the Shabele River to burst its banks. As of May 2005, the flooding in Somali Region alone has caused over 100 confirmed deaths and widespread property damage affecting over 100,000 persons. The floods have also destroyed shelters housing 25,000 Somali refugees in Kenya.
External links
- "Ethiopia: Rains pound Somali region as death toll rises" - UN IRIN (http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=46953&SelectRegion=Horn_of_Africa&SelectCountry=ETHIOPIA)
- "Floods plague Horn of Africa, wash away refugee shelters" - UN News (http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=14150)