Widespread flooding affects almost 200 000 people in Somalia
Wide areas of Somalia have been experiencing unusually strong rainfall season since mid-July. Nearly 200 000 people have been affected and 120 000 have been displaced as of Thursday, August 6, 2020.
Over the last few days, further flooding has hit parts of Somalia, with more than 10 000 people affected in the South West State alone.
Aside from South West, other badly hit areas were Hirshabelle and Jubaland.
On August 1, rivers broke their banks in Marka District, damaging several houses and crops. Around 6 000 people have been displaced and transferred to nearby Internally Displaced People (IDP) centers.
In a report by the UN OCHA on Thursday, it said that many areas of southern and central Somalia have been facing severe rainfall due to the Hagaa season.
Flash floods caused by seasonal rains have affected about 191,800 people in Somalia since May, causing a humanitarian crisis in the affected regions https://t.co/VuZJMH6IZS pic.twitter.com/DAGOzkXDNP
— China Xinhua News (@XHNews) August 6, 2020
Working alongside our partner @AyuubNgo and with @USAIDSavesLives @USAIDSomalia support, we have been able to provide lifesaving food assistance to over 2,000 flood-affected households in #Afgoye. #Partnership saves lives! #Mahadsanid! pic.twitter.com/jBXHjPfIhT
— WFP Somalia (@WFPSomalia) August 3, 2020
Somalia is currently battling a triple threat– aside from flooding, the country is grappling with desert locust outbreak and the COVID-19 pandemic, which has infected a total of 3 227 people as of August 7.
The government appealed for help as the affected population who fled their homes are in dire need of humanitarian assistance.
With this, OCHA said humanitarian partners have ramped up responses by expanding flood assistance. However, there are still gaps in food, shelter, and non-food items.
At least 15 million dollars from the Central Emergency Response Fund has been allocated to aid a series of interventions in the nation for the next 18 months.
UN OCHA also warned that 27 000 more IDP families in eight settlements are at risk of flooding as their homes are sitting in low-lying areas.
Featured image credit: CBA TV English/YouTube
If you value what we do here, create your ad-free account and support our journalism.
Your support makes a difference
Dear valued reader,
We hope that our website has been a valuable resource for you.
The reality is that it takes a lot of time, effort, and resources to maintain and grow this website. We rely on the support of readers like you to keep providing high-quality content.
If you have found our website to be helpful, please consider making a contribution to help us continue to bring you the information you need. Your support means the world to us and helps us to keep doing what we love.
Support us by choosing your support level – Silver, Gold or Platinum. Other support options include Patreon pledges and sending us a one-off payment using PayPal.
Thank you for your consideration. Your support is greatly appreciated.
Sincerely,
Teo Blašković
Commenting rules and guidelines
We value the thoughts and opinions of our readers and welcome healthy discussions on our website. In order to maintain a respectful and positive community, we ask that all commenters follow these rules:
We reserve the right to remove any comments that violate these rules. By commenting on our website, you agree to abide by these guidelines. Thank you for helping to create a positive and welcoming environment for all.