Sand bags provided by the ICRC to contain the swollen Shebelle river, October 2007 – Waters are again reaching a critical level in the Middle Shebelle region. Farmers have now managed to strengthen dikes with sand bags distributed by the ICRC. Three consecutive seasons of flooding had left many farming villages along the river with no crops. In late September 2007, the ICRC distributed seed and food rations for two months to nearly 27,000 farmers and displaced families with access to land. The operation improved food security for over 160,000 people facing economic hardship in the region.