MOGADISHU, Oct 9 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said that flash floods caused by heavy rain this week displaced 107,000 people in Baidoa district, southwestern Somalia.
In an updated notice, OCHA stated that the majority of people needing to be relocated have moved to higher ground near their settlements. Access to affected areas remains a challenge as some roads are cut off due to widespread flooding. Current urgent needs include relocating people to safe locations, providing food, water and medical support.
OCHA added that many houses are still flooded with flood water. These include temporary shelters for more than 86,700 people displaced from 136 locations in Baidoa city.
Local authorities in Baidoa are preparing to respond and calling on humanitarian partners and the international community to assist with emergency needs.
According to OCHA, the rainy season in Somalia starts from October to December every year. It is forecast that rainfall this year in Somalia will exceed average compared to previous years and floods will increase due to the impact of the El-Nino weather phenomenon.
OCHA added that heavy rains and floods occurred after five consecutive drought seasons that displaced more than 1.4 million Somalis and killed 3.8 million livestock since mid-2021 until now.
The United Nations (UN) estimates that 1.2 million people and 1.5 million hectares of productive land are at high risk of being affected by floods in Somalia during the rainy season later this year.
On Oct 6, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said it needed 11.8 million USD to implement measures to mitigate the impact of natural disasters, including mapping flood-prone areas. Floods before “super El Nino” are rare in Somalia.
According to FAO, this plan is within the framework of the global action and response plan, to support 25 countries at high risk of being affected by El Nino on agricultural livelihoods and food security. — NNN-AGENCIES
