Nearly 1 million affected by floods in Somalia, 42 die as gov’t warns of escalating situation

GOOBJOOG NEWS|SOMALIA: Close to one million people have been affected by floods in Somalia as humanitarian agencies and authorities ramp up response efforts. So far, 42 people have been killed.

The Somali Disaster Management Agency (SODMA) said Thursday that 978,988 people have been impacted by the floods since the beginning of this month. Out of this, 590,897 people have been displaced from their homes.

The most affected region is Beletweyne, where 265,000 people have been uprooted from their homes while seven people have died. This is followed by Bay region where 170,000 people have been displaced and nine people have been killed.

In Gedo and Dhobley, 128,000 have been displaced, while 20 people have died. The highest deaths (19) were recorded in Gedo. A further 42,892 people have been displaced in Puntland particularly in Galkaayo.

Over 5000 houses have been damaged, SODMA said in a snapshot. The humanitarian agency further warned on Wednesday of more flooding, especially along the Juba and Shabelle river basins, as rains continue in parts of the country and the Ethiopian highlands. It added that the forecast says rainfall in Bay, Gedo and Awdal could cause floods and landslides.