MOGADISHU, April 29 (Xinhua) -- At least seven children were killed and thousands rendered homeless after flash floods hit Somalia in the past 10 days, the United Nations humanitarian agency said.
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said more than 124,150 people have been affected by the Gu (April to June) rains, with 5,100 people displaced. Jubaland, Hirshabelle and South West states are the worst impacted.
"As Somalia braces for the likely adverse impact of the current rains, funding for the humanitarian response remains low. Partners require urgent additional funding to scale up response as heavy rains and floods start to spread," the OCHA said in its latest flash update released on Sunday evening.
It said heavy rains are projected during this week in central Somalia after flash floods inundated roads connecting some districts in Jubaland State, temporarily making the roads impassable, thereby affecting about 60,000 people in the two districts.
According to the OCHA, UN partners have pre-positioned supplies in the 22 hotspot districts to meet the needs of 770,000 people who are expected to be affected, including food and nutrition supplies, sandbags, cholera kits and shelter kits, water, sanitation and hygiene, and education supplies.
The Somalia Disaster Management Agency has warned communities living in flood-prone areas in Hirshabelle and Jubaland states of the impact of potential floods.
The agency noted that rising water levels in the Shabelle and Juba rivers could threaten livelihoods in several regions.
In late 2023, heavy Deyr (October to December) rains and flooding killed around 118 people and displaced 1.6 million others from their homes, according to the UN. ■
