The death toll from relentless rainfall-induced floods in Somalia has risen to 96, as per the latest update from the state news agency SONNA. This figure was confirmed by Mahamuud Moallim, the head of Somalia’s disaster management agency, in a statement shared on X (formerly Twitter).
Since October, Somalia, along with the eastern region and the Horn of Africa, has been grappling with unceasing heavy rains attributed to weather phenomena like El Niño and the Indian Ocean Dipole.
These climatic patterns, affecting ocean temperatures, have resulted in unusually high levels of rainfall.
The flooding, termed the most severe in decades, has forcibly displaced about 700,000 individuals, according to the United Nations, aggravating the ongoing humanitarian crisis exacerbated by years of conflict in Somalia.
The torrential downpours have led to widespread flooding across the country.
In Kenya, the floods have claimed the lives of 76 people, according to the Kenyan Red Cross.
Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has also reported extensive displacement, destruction of roads and bridges, and acute shortages of shelter, drinking water, and food supplies, affecting numerous residents.