El Nino rains have brought devastating flash floods to Somalia, further worsening an already dire humanitarian situation for communities. Reports indicate that 29 people have died because of the heavy rains. Close to 1.2 million people have been impacted by the floods, losing productive assets, and ways of earning a living, and over 334,000 people have lost their homes. Most of the displaced people are individuals who had previously left their homes due to the drought caused by five consecutive failed rain seasons.
Access to clean water, health centers, and food has been hampered as roads have been washed away and bridges destroyed. Sanitation facilities have also been damaged, leading to an increased risk of waterborne diseases because of the contamination of community water points.
Ummkalthum Dubow, CARE Country Director in Somalia, said:
“The toll of the floods is compounded by the fact that the communities most affected were also impacted by the drought. Education has been disrupted in many places, including some of the CARE-supported schools. Floods have destroyed classrooms and washed away learning materials. Access to healthcare facilities has been disrupted as roads are submerged. We are particularly concerned about the impact the floods pose on women and girls. This is because they are now exposed to higher risks of Gender-Based Violence due to a lack of adequate shelter, limited health services, and exposure to harsh weather. We are calling upon the international community to provide urgent funding to save lives and livelihoods in Somalia. The time to make a difference for affected communities is now,”
CARE is supporting communities using different channels, such as radio, to advise them on how to protect themselves and their property from the floods. Teams are also sharing information about diseases that might be caused by stagnant water and the contamination of water sources.
Since the start of the flooding, CARE has distributed cash, through mobile money, to affected communities and reached more than 48,000 individuals in South Central and Puntland. In addition, CARE is in the process of targeting another 48,000 individuals. Plans are also underway to scale up responses to address the worsening humanitarian situation through the delivery of clean water, healthcare, nutrition, and protection support for women and girls.
Media enquiries
For media inquiries, please contact David Moore, Media Officer for CARE International UK (moore@careinternational.org)
