Somalia is facing a huge flood, described as a once-in-a-century event by the United Nations. Over 1.6 million people could be impacted, with heavy rains causing major damage. The UN has provided $25 million in aid, as the country deals with this natural disaster after a severe drought.
Key Points:
- Over 1.6 million people in Somalia could be affected by heavy rains and floods.
- The UN has given $25 million to help with the crisis.
- At least 29 people have died, and over 300,000 are displaced.
- The floods are made worse by climate effects like El Niño.
- Around 1.5 million hectares of farmland are at risk of being destroyed.
News in Detail: Somalia is going through a really big flood right now. The United Nations says it’s a very rare event that happens maybe once in a hundred years. A lot of rain has fallen since early October, and it’s causing big problems.
So far, 29 people have died because of the floods, and more than 300,000 people had to leave their homes and go somewhere else. The UN thinks this number could get even bigger because more rain is coming.
This flooding is happening after Somalia just had one of its worst droughts. That means they went from not having enough water to having way too much. The floods started when two rivers, the Juba and Shabelle, got too full and overflowed.
The floods are so bad partly because of things happening with the weather. El Niño, which is when the ocean gets warmer in some places, and another thing called the Indian Ocean Dipole, are making the rains heavier than usual.
Lots of farms are underwater now, which is bad for food and for people who work on the farms. The UN is worried that about 1.5 million hectares of farmland could be ruined.
The UN and other groups are trying to help. They gave $25 million to help people in Somalia. But it’s hard to get to everyone who needs help because the roads are flooded or blocked.
Even people who had to leave their homes before because of fighting or the drought are having to move again because of the floods.
In Somalia, the government says this is an emergency and they need help. Neighboring countries like Kenya and Ethiopia are also having floods and people are dying there too.
The UN warned back in September that this area might get a lot of rain. They think it’s because of El Niño, which can cause all sorts of extreme weather like floods and droughts. They say that climate change might be making these kinds of things happen more often.
