50 people killed as death toll from floods in Somalia rises

“Fifty people have lost their lives in the disaster, while 687,235 individuals have been compelled to abandon their homes,” said Mohamud Moalim Abdullahi, the director of the Somali Disaster Management Agency, during a press briefing on Monday. He also added, “The anticipated rains between 21st and 24th of November may lead to further flooding, resulting in more casualties and destruction.”

The UN humanitarian agency OCHA reported on Saturday that the number of people displaced by heavy rains and floods in Somalia has nearly doubled in just one week, with a total of 1.7 million people being affected by the disaster.

Furthermore, OCHA stated, “Roads, bridges, and airstrips have been damaged in several areas, impacting the movement of people and supplies and leading to increased prices of basic commodities.”

In addition, the British charity Save the Children revealed that over 100 people, including 16 children, have lost their lives, and more than 700,000 have been displaced in Kenya, Somalia, and Ethiopia as a result of the flash flooding.

The Horn of Africa is highly susceptible to climate change, with extreme weather events occurring more frequently and with greater intensity. The region is still recovering from the worst drought in the last forty years, which resulted in millions of people in need and caused extensive damage to crops and livestock.

Humanitarian organizations have cautioned that the situation is likely to deteriorate and have urged immediate global intervention, as the El Nino phenomenon is expected to persist until at least April 2024.

AFP