Military airstrikes in southern Somalia are forcing civilians into increasingly dangerous conditions as rising floodwaters threaten their safety near the River Juba. Residents describe relentless drone attacks that have destroyed homes and livestock, trapping people with no escape as water levels surge. Survivors report widespread destruction across the town, raising questions about whether the military strategy is deliberately exacerbating the humanitarian crisis. The combination of conflict and natural disaster has left families like one mother of six with nowhere to turn.
Exclusive: Coordinated airstrikes on territory held by al-Shabaab are driving the civilian population to find refuge alongside a river where rising water levels are a threat to safety. Is it a deliberate military strategy?The water was rising rapidly. It had already reached Cayni Ali’s waist. Her home, five metres from the flooded River Juba in southern Somalia, never stood a chance. There was nowhere to go. Ali’s city of Jilib was under attack. Repeated airstrikes, said the mother of six, were pinning its population beside the rising river.“The drones come all the time,” said the 27-year-old. “We hear them constantly. They kill animals, civilians. The town is big but destruction is everywhere.” Continue reading...
