The United Nations reported on Tuesday that more than 84,000 people in Somalia have been affected by flash floods since mid-April, resulting in the deaths of at least 17 individuals. The Horn of Africa is particularly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, leading to increasingly frequent and intense extreme weather events.
“Since mid-April, flash floods caused by heavy seasonal rains have killed 17 people and affected over 84,000 people in several areas,” stated the UN humanitarian agency OCHA. This figure encompasses those who have been displaced, lost their shelter, face limited access to humanitarian aid, or are experiencing water shortages.
OCHA identified the states of Jubaland, Hirshabelle, South West, Galmudug, Puntland, and the Banadir region, which includes the capital Mogadishu, as the most severely impacted. The floods have led to the displacement of over 8,100 people. “Critical infrastructure has been damaged,” OCHA added, noting the submergence of water points and the destruction of nearly 200 latrines.
This comes shortly after torrential rains in southeastern Banadir killed at least nine people and affected approximately 24,600 others. “The rains significantly impacted internally displaced people,” OCHA reported, citing local authorities.
According to the UN report, meteorologists have issued warnings of more rainfall expected in the coming days across southern and central Somalia. Somalia experienced severe flooding in 2023, where torrential rains linked to the El Nino weather pattern led to the deaths of over 100 people and the displacement of more than a million.