UN says 132,000 affected by floods as El Niño sweeps Somalia

Flash floods in Somalia have destroyed thousands of makeshift homes, as well as latrines and shallow wells, affecting 1320,000 people since Oct. 19, the UN humanitarian agency said.

The UN office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said in its latest report on Saturday that as the wet conditions continue, thousands of people in the low lying areas of the southern and central parts of Somalia remain at risk of flash and river flooding.

"In Banadir region, heavy rains caused flash floods in Mogadishu and surrounding areas. Three children were reportedly killed and a number of people were injured after a wall collapsed in Yaqshiid district," OCHA said.

An estimated 42,000 of these were affected by tropical cyclones Chapala and Megh, according to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)-Managed Somalia Land and Water Information Network (SWALIM).

Another estimated 60,000 people have been displaced as a result of the flash and river flooding in Bakool, Bay, Hiraan, Lower Juba, Middle Juba and Middle Shabelle, according to multiple sources including local authorities, partners, communities and the Protection and Return Monitoring Network (PRMN).

An OCHA-led assessment found that most of the shelters belonging to 12,000 internally displaced people have been destroyed. Also, over 90 community latrines were reportedly damaged, while the remaining are likely to collapse.

Experts have warned that the floods, which have made roads impassable and cut thousands off from aid, could reverse many of the humanitarian gains made in southern Somalia since 2011 when the Horn of Africa nation was devastated by famine.

OCHA said the above has been possible thanks in part to early funding estimated at 14 million US dollars specifically to preparedness and response to El Niño in Somalia.

"In total, humanitarian partners foresee that an estimated 30 million dollars is required for preparedness and immediate response in 2015," the UN humanitarian agency said.

More than 3 million Somalis - one-third of the population - already needed life-saving aid and over one million were internally displaced before the rains began in October.

The UN said between 500,000 and 900,000 Somalis could be affected by El Niño, caused by Pacific Ocean warming which has caused drought in other parts of Africa, including Ethiopia where eight million people need food aid.

"In the event of a worst case scenario with 500,000 to 900,000 people affected by floods, it is estimated that an additional 35 million dollars could be required to save lives and livelihoods in flood affected areas before the end of the year," it added.

The Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP) for Somalia is currently funded at 37 percent with 317 million dollars reported against 863 million dollars requested. An additional 212 million dollars has been reported outside the HRP.

   Xinhua - globaltimes.cn
  15/11/15
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