Along with the rest of the east and horn of Africa, Somalia has suffered relentless flooding killing many already. The total number of people who have already been killed from flooding in Somalia has risen to roughly 96 people.
SONNA, a state news agency has commented on the crisis, confirming the death toll while also stating that this figure has been confirmed by Mahamuud Moallim, who is the head of Somalia’s disaster management agency. Along with having killed 96 people in Somalia already, the flooding is described as the worst in worst in decades and have already displaced roughly 700,000 people as well.
The flooding is a result from constant rain, which previously started in October. The rain itself started as a result of the El Nino and Indian Ocean Dipole weather phenomena, which are climate patterns based on ocean surface temperatures changing, that can result in rainfall.
OCHA, a UN humanitarian agency has also commented on the crisis, stating that the number of people who have become displaced by the flooding and rain in Somalia “has nearly doubled in one week”. “In addition, roads, bridges and airstrips have been damaged in several areas, affecting the movement of people and supplies and leading to increased prices of basic commodities,” OCHA stated.
NGO World Vision said the floods have already destroyed homes, schools, roads, etc. leaving children without crucial necessities such as food, shelter, drinking water, etc.
Kevin Mackey, the organization’s Somalia country director explained that “the floods have made life extremely difficult for children. Ongoing flooding has destroyed homes forcing children and their families to leave their homes, some of whom are now sheltering in makeshift structures in the open. As they move, they are at increased risk of illness”.
The International Rescue Committee described the crisis as resulting in “catastrophic” consequences, due to a combination of the hundreds of thousands of people who have become displaced from the flooding, as well as from the animals and crops that have been destroyed due to the flooding and rain, resulting in more than 1.7 million people in “urgent need”.
“With above-normal rainfall expected to persist until the end of 2023, this will exacerbate the already grave humanitarian situation, whereby 4.3 million people, a quarter of the population are expected to face crisis-level hunger or worse by the end of 2023,” the agency explained.
Numerous humanitarian agencies have warned the situation will most likely worsen and called for global intervention to prevent the crisis from worsening.
Written by Kevin Han
