Floods continue in Somalia and Kenya, death toll continues to rise

The death toll from floods caused by heavy rains in Somalia has risen to 96.

Hơn 170 người thiệt mạng do lũ lụt ở Somalia và Kenya

Floods have killed more than 70 people in Kenya. (Source: AFP)

In a post on social network X (formerly Twitter) on November 25, Director of Somalia's Disaster Management Agency Mohamud Moalim Abdullahi confirmed the above human loss figure.

Like the rest of the East and Horn of Africa, Somalia experiences relentless heavy rains starting in October, caused by El Nino and the Indian Ocean Dipole. Both are climate patterns that affect ocean surface temperatures and cause above-average rainfall.

The floods, described as the worst in decades, have displaced some 700,000 people, according to the United Nations. Torrential rains have caused widespread flooding across Somalia, forcing many to flee their homes and exacerbating a humanitarian crisis already exacerbated by years of conflict in the country.

In neighboring Kenya, according to the country's Red Cross, floods have so far killed 76 people, forced people to evacuate their homes, destroyed roads and bridges, and left many residents without shelter, drinking water, and food.

The Horn of Africa is experiencing heavy rains and severe flooding caused by the El Niño weather phenomenon, causing many deaths and displacements. It is also one of the regions most vulnerable to climate change, with extreme weather events occurring with increasing intensity and frequency.

More than 100 people, including 16 children, have died and more than 700,000 have been forced to flee their homes in Kenya, Somalia and Ethiopia due to flooding, Save the Children said on November 16.

Humanitarian organizations have warned that the situation could worsen, calling for urgent global intervention as the El Nino weather pattern is expected to last until at least April 2024.

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