Mogadishu, Somalia — At least 18 people, mostly children have died from the diarrhea disease that broke out in the Hawadley and the surrounding areas in the Hiran region.

According to the local officials, around 50 other people have been hospitalized.

The reports say the disease is spreading in the small villages outside the town, as the people have no medical centers to treat the diarrhea patients.

Diarrhea broke out last month in Baledweyne and Bulaburte, which claimed the lives of around 30 people, including children and adults who were IDPs displaced by the floods.

The authorities said the Shabelle River which passes through in Hiran and Middle Shabelle regions flooded several towns, causing water-borne diseases such as diarrhea and malaria.

Fighting between Somali government forces and Al-Shabaab has driven more than a million civilians from their homes since the start of 2022, triggering a humanitarian emergency.