Climate change : Flash floods caused by heavy rainfall claims 22 lives in Somalia, 450,000 affected: UN

Flash floods caused by heavy rainfall in central Somalia have claimed the lives of at least 22 people and left over 450,000 affected, according to the UN’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

The Shabelle River burst its banks, forcing tens of thousands of people to flee their homes in search of refuge.

OCHA on Sunday reported that almost 219,000 people have been displaced from their homes, mainly in flood-prone areas.

“Initial estimates indicate that the flash and riverine floods across Somalia have affected at least 460,470 people, of whom nearly 219,000 have been displaced from their homes mainly in flood-prone areas, and 22 killed,” said the UN’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

The flooding has “left a trail of destruction” and is responsible for “inundating homes and farmland, washing away livestock, temporarily closing schools and health facilities, and damaging roads,” the agency said in its situation report.

Earlier this week, a significant amount of rain caused floodwaters to enter houses and buildings in Beledweyne town, located in the Hiran region. This forced residents to quickly gather their belongings and walk through the flooded streets to seek shelter.

Talking to AFP, residents said that the floods have become a familiar ordeal, with one resident saying that it is her fifth time fleeing flash floods in the Beledweyne area.

According to experts, the country is experiencing extreme weather events more frequently and with greater intensity due to climate change.

AFP reports that the extreme weather is not unique to Somalia. East and Central Africa have often been hit by extreme weather during the rainy seasons, causing significant damage to property and claiming many lives.

Earlier this month, floods and landslides triggered by heavy rains claimed the lives of 135 people in Rwanda, leaving over 9,000 homeless.

Last week, in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, more than 400 people died due to torrential downpours, floods and landslides.

As per AFP, at the end of 2019, East Africa suffered from two months of relentless rainfall, which resulted in the deaths of 265 people and the displacement of tens of thousands in Burundi, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda.