UN says 800,000 Somalis threatened by flooding displacement

More than 800,000 people in Somalia could be forced to leave their homes over the next three months due to flooding, the UN migration agency warned Wednesday.

Somalia is entering a rainy season expected to bring above-average rainfall, worsened by the strengthening El Nino weather phenomenon, the International Organization for Migration said.

New projections by IOM and the Danish Refugee Council estimate that 874,319 people could be displaced between October and December, with flooding accounting for 92% of the projected displacement.

“We are looking at the possibility of hundreds of thousands of people losing their homes in just a matter of weeks,” said Manuel Marques Pereira, the IOM’s Somalia chief of mission.

“Many of these families have already been displaced before and have very little left to fall back on.

“There is still time to reduce the impact, but that window is closing. We urgently need funding to help people protect their homes and livelihoods, reach safer ground where necessary, and avoid another cycle of displacement.”

The IOM said it had only secured 14% of the US$16.62 million it needed to prepare for and respond to El Nino-related flooding.

The agency said the signs of flooding were already emerging, with rivers approaching flood levels, reaching the tops of their banks or homes being damaged by heavy rainfall.

The IOM said that beyond the immediate threat to homes, rising floodwaters could destroy crops, contaminate water sources and cut off access to essential services.

The agency called for “urgent international support” to scale up preparedness before floodwaters hit.

The UN weather agency said Wednesday the current El Nino could be unprecedented in strength, with the UN aid chief adding that Somalia, Ethiopia and Kenya needed supplies in the next two weeks ahead of heavy rains.