According to a government official, flash flooding in Somalia has killed 50 people and forced over 700,000 people from their homes. Heavy rains are predicted to begin on Tuesday, which will make the situation worse.
Numerous fatalities and widespread displacement are being caused by the El Nino weather phenomenon’s severe rains and flooding across the Horn of Africa, particularly in Somalia where the downpours have damaged bridges and submerged residential areas.
Mohamud Moalim Abdullahi, director of the Somali tragedy Management Agency, stated at a press conference on Monday that “687,235 people were forced to flee their houses… while 50 people died in the disaster.”
He went on, “The predicted rains between November 21 and 24…may cause more flooding which could cause death and destruction.”
The UN humanitarian organization OCHA reported on Saturday that 1.7 million people had been impacted by the disaster, with the number of people displaced in Somalia due to flooding and torrential rains “having nearly doubled in one week.”
“Moreover, numerous regions have experienced damage to their roads, bridges, and airstrips, impeding the flow of people and supplies and resulting in elevated costs for essential goods,” stated OCHA.
On Thursday, the British charity Save the Children announced that flash flooding has pushed over 700,000 people from their homes in Kenya, Somalia, and Ethiopia and killed over 100 people, including 16 children.
One of the areas most at risk from climate change is the Horn of Africa, where extreme weather events are happening more frequently and intensely.
Following several unsuccessful wet seasons that destroyed crops and cattle and left millions of people in need, the region is currently experiencing its worst drought in forty years.
Since El Nino is predicted to persist until at least April 2024, humanitarian organizations have issued dire warnings that the situation is certain to get worse and have demanded immediate international intervention.
