MOGADISHU, Somalia – The Minister of Information declared that the country is in a state of emergency, after the heavy rains and floods that have affected millions of people.
Daud Aweys noted that the floods in some regions have resulted in losses including deaths, destruction, displacement, and humanitarian crises which need urgent intervention.
He added that the floods displaced 500,000 people and killed 31 people since last month.
This statement comes as Somalia is still experiencing rains and floods that have affected the lives of many people who were already struggling with a devastating drought.
The ongoing flooding in Somalia caused by torrential rainfall is part of a regional deluge linked to ongoing weather patterns known as El Nino.
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said in a statement late on Thursday that around 1.6 million people in Somalia could be affected by the downpours.
Somalia experiences two types of flooding: river floods and flash floods. River floods occur along the Juba and Shabelle rivers in the South, whereas flash floods are common along the intermittent streams in the northern part of the country.
