More than a quarter of a million Somalis have been forced to flee their homes due to flooding caused by heavy rains, the UN’s refugee agency has said.
In some areas, the floods are so severe that entire cities have been submerged. The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said it was “deeply concerned” about the situation in Somalia, which has been hit by its worst flooding in more than two decades.
The agency said the flooding, which began in late April, had so far displaced more than 250,000 people in the country. Most of the affected people were from the capital Mogadishu and the surrounding regions of Lower and Middle Shabelle.
“We are deeply concerned about the situation in Somalia, where the floods have left a quarter of a million people in need of urgent humanitarian assistance,” said UNHCR spokesperson Babar Baloch.
“The floods have caused massive destruction and displacement, with entire cities underwater and hundreds of thousands of people in need of food, shelter and medical care.”
The agency said it was providing emergency aid to those affected, including providing shelter, access to clean water, sanitation and health services. It said it was also working with the Somali government to develop an “integrated response” to the disaster.