UN calls for urgent funding as Somalia faces humanitarian crisis over El Nino floods

As devastating rains and floods wreak havoc in Somalia, the UN Humanitarian Coordinator, George Conway, joined forces with the government and the Somali NGO consortium to issue a dire warning, declaring the nation to be in the throes of a humanitarian disaster. Since October, approximately 2 million people have felt the impact of torrential rains, flash floods, and riverine floods, leading to the displacement of over 750,000 individuals and causing nearly 100 fatalities. The affected regions include South West, Galmudug, Puntland, Hirshabelle, Jubaland States, and the Banadir region.

The ongoing heavy rains and floods are expected to submerge at least 1.5 million hectares of farmland by the end of December. While authorities, communities, and aid workers have reached around 820,000 affected individuals with life-saving assistance, the scale of the disaster is rapidly escalating as flooding expands across the country. Projections indicate that the persistent heavy rains will continue in the coming weeks, particularly affecting the low-lying Shabelle and Juba riverine areas.

The grim situation unfolds against the backdrop of existing challenges, as millions of Somalis grapple with hunger and malnutrition. An estimated 1.5 million children under the age of 5 are facing acute malnutrition between August of this year and July 2024.

With only one month left in the year, and despite the overwhelming needs, the 2023 Humanitarian Response Plan, which seeks over Usd2.6 billion to address the priority needs of 7.6 million people, remains severely underfunded at 42 per cent, totaling Usd1 billion. Aid organisations stressing that without additional resources, they cannot adequately address the current and escalating needs in the affected regions.