By Oluwatosin Maliki
Somalia is battling with the devastating aftermath of flash floods that have claimed the lives of 50 people and forced nearly 700,000 residents to flee their homes.
According to a government official, the heavy rain started on Tuesday and is expected to worsen the country’s current situation.
Recall, Quest Times reported that the Horn of Africa region is experiencing torrential rainfall and floods linked to the El Nino weather phenomenon, which has resulted to loss of lives and causing great damage and large-scale displacement across Africa, including; Somalia, where the downpours have destroyed bridges and inundated residential areas.
The statement read, “Fifty people died in the disaster… while 687,235 people were forced to flee their houses,” Somali Disaster Management Agency director Mohamud Moalim Abdullahi said at a press briefing on Monday”.
“The expected rains between 21st and 24th of November… may cause more flooding which could cause death and destruction,” he added.
Meanwhile, on Saturday, the UN humanitarian agency OCHA stated that the number of people displaced by heavy rains and floods in Somalia, “has nearly doubled in one week”, while noting that 1.7 million people overall have been affected by the disaster.
“In addition, roads, bridges and airstrips have been damaged in several areas, affecting the movement of people and supplies and leading to increased prices of basic commodities,” OCHA said.
Also, the British charity Save the Children on Thursday, explained that more than 100 people, including 16 children, had died and more than 700,000 forced from their homes in Kenya, Somalia and Ethiopia due to flash flooding experienced in the African countries.
It was learnt that the Horn of Africa is one of the regions most vulnerable to climate change and extreme weather events, which are occurring with increased frequency and intensity.
Additionally, the region is recovering from the worst drought ever experienced in four decades, as a result of multiple failed rainy seasons that left millions of people in need, devastating crops and livestock.
Following this tragic event, the Humanitarian groups have issued a warning that the situation is likely to worsen and called for urgent global intervention, as the phenomenon (El Nino) is expected to last until at least April 2024.