Somalia – Five crises at once
Five crises are striking Somalia all at once. On top of ongoing conflict, Covid-19, a worsening locust infestation and a looming hunger crisis, flash flooding has now ripped through multiple parts of the country destroying homes and livelihoods.
Over 200,000 people have been affected by flooding leaving 16 people dead and 70,000 displaced.
A spokesperson from The Norwegian Refugee Council states:
“We have teams who are meeting people whose farms have been inundated with water, small business owners that have had everything destroyed. The flooding compounds additional hardships created by Covid-19, our emergency response capacity is reduced and faces even more challenges than usual. We have been able to provide basic shelter, hygiene kits and food support to those living in affected areas but we are worried about their exposure to additional risk of disease – not only Covid-19 but waterborne diseases like cholera.
“Heavy rain and flooding is set to continue throughout the month of May. While we understand the global focus is currently on the pandemic, we urge the international community to ensure equal attention is given to all aspects of this humanitarian crisis and that sufficient support is given to vulnerable people dependent on assistance.”
More rain is forecast in the coming week in the Juba and Shabelle river basins, while there will be a slight reduction in the northern regions.
Moderate to high flood risk is likely to persist at least through mid-May, threatening urban and riverine populations, including in Belet Weyne (Hiran) and Jowhar (Middle Shabelle).
