Recent Flooding and Heavy Rainfall in Somalia Leads to Loss of Lives and Displacement – Updates from Reuters, OCHA, and BBC

Reuters

NOS Nieuws•vandaag, 17:21

Fourteen people have recently been killed in heavy rainfall and flooding in Somalia. Thousands of others are stuck in their homes because of the flooding. More than a hundred thousand people have also fled their homes, reports the UN aid organization OCHA.

Streets are flooded and infrastructure, such as bridges and roads, have been destroyed. This makes it difficult to reach affected households. Also reports the BBC that toilets overflow, increasing the risk of spreading disease. The Somali government has declared a state of emergency. According to OCHA, more than 700,000 people have been affected by the natural disaster.

Due to the heavy rain due to the El Niño weather phenomenon the Jubba and Shebelle rivers overflowed their banks last month. The rainy season, which runs from October to December, has affected areas including Puntland, Hirshabelle and the region along the Jubba River.

Severe drought

A year ago, Somalia was still experiencing the worst drought in forty years. That drought, combined with rising food prices and violence, killed 43,000 people, according to the UN.

Aid agencies have pointed to the major role of climate change in humanitarian emergencies such as these. UN chief Guterres stated in April that Somalia is suffering disproportionately from climate change, while emitting relatively little CO2. “It is unconscionable that Somalis, who have done almost nothing to cause the climate crisis, are suffering its dire consequences,” Guterres said.

2023-11-06 16:21:42
#Floods #affect #people #Somalia