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Somalia flood death toll hits 96, PM urges urgent global aid during Jubaland tour

Somali Prime Minister Hamsa Abdi Barre accompanied by the President of Jubaland regional state, Ahmed Mohamed Islam, Ambassadors from Turkey and China, alongside representatives from the United Nations Office during a visit to the outskirts of Kismayo on 28 November, 2023. (Photo: Courtesy)

By Gelle Dheere | Wednesday, November 29, 2023

The PM highlighted the plight of thousands of families stranded in the floodwaters of the Juba River in the Gedo region.

With the death toll from the devastating floods in southern Somalia surpassing 96, Somali Prime Minister Hamsa Abdi Barre is rallying global support to address one of the most significant humanitarian disasters in the nation's history.

Accompanied by the President of Jubaland regional state, Ahmed Mohamed Islam, Ambassadors from Turkey and China, alongside representatives from the United Nations Office, Hamza visited the outskirts of Kismayo on Tuesday to assess the dire situation faced by those affected by the floods.

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Emphasizing the gravity of the crisis, the Prime Minister highlighted the plight of thousands of families stranded in the floodwaters of the Juba River in the Gedo region.

He underscored that local capacities are overwhelmed, calling on the international community to play a pivotal role in responding to emergencies and facilitating rescue operations.

In neighbouring Kenya, the National El Niño Steering Committee on Tuesday revealed that 120 lives have been lost as a result of the floods with Garissa, Mandera, Wajir, and Tana River counties emerging as the epicentres of the disaster.

Torrential rains linked to the El Nino weather phenomenon have lashed the Horn of Africa on the heels of the worst drought in 40 years that drove millions to the brink of famine in Somalia.

It is considered one of the most vulnerable countries to climate change, locked in a vicious cycle of drought and floods.

In one of the worst El Nino episodes, in late 1997 and early 1998, at least 1,800 people died in Somalia alone when the Juba River burst its banks.

The latest floods have washed away homes, schools, farmland, roads and bridges, leaving many without shelter, food or clean drinking water.