The Minister of Agriculture for the Federal Government of Somalia, accompanied by prominent farmers and agricultural stakeholders, conducted an urgent inspection visit to the Shabelle River in Afgoye district on Saturday, highlighting a looming humanitarian and economic catastrophe as the vital waterway dries up.
Speaking from the banks of the Shabelle River, the minister emphasized the critical importance of the river to Somalia's survival, noting that approximately 70% of the nation's agricultural production depends on this single water source. The river, which stretches from Ferfer to the coast, historically supported communities across a 700-kilometer radius and provided sustenance for over three million residents of the capital, Mogadishu.
"The Shabelle River was the lifeline of the Somali people," the minister stated, describing how the river previously enabled year-round cultivation and sustained the famous agricultural productivity of Afgoye, long known as Somalia's breadbasket. However, the minister painted a grim picture of the current situation, revealing that the river has dried up to the point where sand and silt have filled the riverbed, preventing water flow even when seasonal rains occur upstream.
The minister attributed the crisis primarily to illegal damming activities by neighboring countries, stating that upstream governments have blocked the water flow in violation of international law and without legal authority. This unilateral diversion of water has devastated downstream communities that have relied on the river for centuries.
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"The crisis facing our people is not just a water crisis; it is a food crisis, an economic crisis, and a potential displacement crisis," the minister warned. He noted that while political attention often focuses on urban security issues and inter-clan conflicts in Mogadishu, the destruction of rural infrastructure has progressed tenfold compared to urban areas, threatening the nation's food security at its foundation.
In response to the emergency, the minister launched an urgent appeal for national solidarity. He called on Somali citizens at home and abroad, business owners, and agricultural associations to contribute financially to immediate rehabilitation efforts. The primary objective is to remove accumulated silt and sand from the riverbed to restore water flow capacity before the critical April planting season.
The minister revealed that the government has already communicated the severity of the situation to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the President, and Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre, with formal diplomatic protests lodged regarding violations of international water-sharing agreements. The Prime Minister has reportedly pledged support for one million drought-affected Somalis, though the minister emphasized that immediate practical intervention is necessary to prevent total crop failure.
"If we do not act quickly to rehabilitate this river, all crops will fail, and we will face a disaster," the minister cautioned, noting that without irrigation water, even the fertile soils of Afgoye cannot sustain agriculture. The visit concluded with a call for coordinated action between the federal government, federal member states, and international partners to address both the immediate humanitarian needs and the long-term diplomatic resolution of water rights disputes affecting the Shabelle River basin.