Somalia – Floods: 31 dead and 500,000 displaced

Floods in Somalia have left at least 31 dead and more than 500,000 people displaced. The situation has been exacerbated by the Indian Ocean Dipole and is occurring on a scale that only happens once a century.

Since the beginning of October, Somalia has been experiencing intense rains attributed to El Niño, causing flooding in several regions of the country. The worst affected areas are Gedo in the south and Hiran in the center, where the Shabelle River overflowed, submerging roads and washing away homes in Beledweyne.

The human consequences of this disaster are devastating. At least 31 people lost their lives, while more than 500,000 Somali citizens were forced to leave their flood-damaged homes. Images of submerged towns and agricultural lands transformed into bodies of water bear witness to the scale of the disaster.

The situation is even more critical due to the rare combination of El Niño and the Indian Ocean Dipole, creating a divergence in sea surface temperatures between the western and eastern areas of the ocean. This meteorological conjunction creates conditions conducive to flooding of exceptional magnitude.