Floods caused by heavy rainfall in several parts of Somalia have displaced more than 113,000 people and affected at least 706,100. This is what the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) announced on Monday. At least ten people also died in the floods. The Somali government has now declared a state of emergency.
The floods were caused by the Jubba and Shebelle rivers overflowing their banks after heavy rainfall due to the El Niño weather phenomenon. The South West and Jubbaland states were the worst hit. According to the UN, at least 500,000 people there are affected by the consequences of the storm. Damage to local infrastructure makes emergency aid to affected Somalis difficult. Bridges and roads have been destroyed, making it difficult to reach the areas in question. For example, 2,400 people are currently still stuck in their homes, surrounded by water.
Drought
Last year, Somalia suffered the worst drought in forty years. In addition, the country faced rising food prices due to the war in Ukraine. According to the United Nations, the drought and the consequences of food shortages cost the lives of as many as 43,000 Somalis. Aid organizations see climate change as the biggest cause of such natural disasters. According to UNICEF, the largest group of children displaced due to extreme weather conditions in proportion to the number of children per population comes from South Sudan and Somalia.