Region
Hiiraan
Hiiraan is a region of Hirshabelle State on the Shabelle river, with Beledweyne as its capital and about 505,000 to 598,000 people. Its towns are held by the state and federal governments, and families there face bombings, local clashes, evictions of displaced people and the river's floods.
Who lives there
Estimates for 2024 run from about 505,000 people (IPC) to 598,000 (IOM). The region has three districts: Beledweyne (the capital), Bulo Burto and Jalalaqsi. Several communities live on both banks of the Shabelle, along with smaller groups (EUAA 2025).
Conflict displaced 10,542 people from or within Hiiraan between April 2023 and March 2025. Beledweyne took in the most arrivals, and Jalalaqsi had the most people leave. Displaced families also face eviction: Beledweyne evicted 50 households in early 2024 and 130 households (780 people) in the next three months (EUAA 2025).
Work and money
Families farm along the river and herd animals. We have not yet found checked wage or price figures for the region.
Who governs
Hirshabelle State and the federal government hold the towns of Beledweyne, Bulo Burto and Jalalaqsi. Al-Shabaab holds western Bulo Burto district and areas on the west bank between Jalalaqsi and Beledweyne. It retook many villages in June 2024 when local defence groups pulled back. African Union troops from Djibouti still work in the region (EUAA 2025).
What people face now
- Bombings in towns: on 23 September 2023 a truck bomb at a Beledweyne checkpoint killed at least 36 people. On 2 July 2024 a car bomb at a Beledweyne base killed at least 4.
- Local clashes: around Halfooley in July 2023, December 2024 (more than 20 dead) and February 2025, and on the Middle Shabelle border in April 2024.
- Overall: 394 security incidents and 899 deaths from April 2023 to March 2025, and children taken into al-Shabaab (EUAA 2025).
- Floods: the Shabelle often floods Beledweyne. In May 2023, Somalia's disaster agency said floods drove more than 245,000 people from their homes there (The EastAfrican). An aid group later counted about 201,000 (ActionAid via ReliefWeb).
Sources differ
Flood figures for 2023 vary: about 200,000 to 245,000 for Beledweyne, depending on who counted and when.
Top needs
- Flood warnings and help to recover for riverside families.
- Protection for displaced families from eviction.
- Income for farmers and displaced people after floods and fighting.
- School places, so children stay away from recruitment.
- Trust rebuilt between communities after recent clashes.
What we don't know yet
Flood numbers for 2025 and 2026, prices and wages, and the local groups working in Beledweyne. If you know, use "Fix this page".
Sources
- EUAA 2025 · euaa.europa.eu
- The EastAfrican · theeastafrican.co.ke
- ActionAid via ReliefWeb · reliefweb.int
Gathered in our research record “Somalia regions”. Wikipedia is used only as a backup.
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