At least 50 people are dead and 700,000 have been displaced as flash flooding sparked by severe rainfall continues to batter Somalia.
Relief agencies on the ground warn the crisis is intensifying, as heavy rains forecasted to begin on Wednesday could exacerbate flooding nationwide, Al Jazeera reports.
The catastrophic flooding and extreme weather conditions have left more than 1.7 million people in urgent need of emergency assistance, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
The destruction has been significant, as floodwaters have decimated infrastructure by razing homes, schools, and roads.
According to humanitarian organisation Save the Children, entire districts have been cut off due to roads being rendered impassable by the flooding.
1.7 million people have been affected by the torrential rains and floods in #Somalia.@UN and partners, together with local communities, have stepped up assistance to affected people. At least 743,000 people have received life-saving aid since October: https://t.co/9BF3HOp6Bt pic.twitter.com/Kzmv7WS2Ki
— UN Humanitarian (@UNOCHA) November 21, 2023
The country’s National Committee for Refugees and IDPs provided updated figures tallying 50 confirmed fatalities. Approximately 687,235 people displaced from their homes are sheltering in various temporary camps dotting the southern region.
The hardest hit areas are concentrated along the Juba and Shabelle rivers, which have overflowed their banks and submerged dozens of small villages near Mogadishu and Beledweyne in Hirshabelle State.
Scenes of devastation are visible everywhere as first responders in boats attempt to deliver life-saving supplies to children and families still trapped by raging flood waters.
Ibrahimaden, Abdiladif Mohamed & Ahmed Dakane from @WFPSomalia Beletweyne Field Office have arrived this morning to Jalalaqsi and making their way by donkey cart to support those affected by floods#ClimateCrisis is real. Somalia continued to pay the price @SomaliPM @UNinSomalia pic.twitter.com/zwgKY4k5oO
— El-Khidir Daloum (@EKDaloum) November 20, 2023
Images reveal up to three miles of road washed out near Beledweyne, a critical regional transportation artery, cutting off transport links nationwide according to emergency managers.
Humanitarian coordinators report emergency shelter, safe drinking water, and food remain the most urgent needs for stranded Somalis. The Spread of waterborne diseases is another top concern for health responders as stagnant water fosters the growth of bacteria and mosquitos.
Meteorologists expect the tropical El Nino weather phenomenon to pummel Somalia with continued heavy rainfall and potential flooding lasting until April 2024.
Local weather forecasts predict another night of heavy downpours starting this evening around Mogadishu, leaving aid officials bracing for the crisis to worsen over already hard-hit communities.
It comes after severe floods in central Somalia wreaked havoc earlier this year, at the same time the country experienced its worst drought in 40 years.
The overflow of the Shabelle River forced nearly 250,000 people to evacuate their homes, inundating the town of Beledweyne.
