MOGADISHU, Oct. 22 (Xinhua) -- Imminent flooding could displace nearly 874,000 people in Somalia over the next three months, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) warned Thursday.
Heavy rainfall and rising rivers now threaten communities already struggling with drought and repeated displacement, the UN migration agency said in a statement, urging international support for preparedness and early action.
"There is still time to reduce the impact, but that window is closing. We urgently need funding to help people protect their homes and livelihoods, reach safer ground where necessary, and avoid another cycle of displacement," said Manuel Marques Pereira, chief of mission for IOM in Somalia.
New projections by IOM and the Danish Refugee Council estimate that 874,319 people could be displaced between October and December, with flooding driving 92 percent of that displacement.
The warning comes as Somalia enters its rainy season, which is forecast to bring above-normal rainfall driven by strengthening El Nino conditions.
According to IOM, signs of flooding are already emerging across the country.
The Jubba River at Dollow is approaching flood levels, while the Shabelle River at Jowhar is rising toward the top of its banks.
Heavy rainfall in Baidoa has already damaged homes, forcing families to flee several neighborhoods.
Despite the mounting crisis, IOM said it has secured just 14.4 percent of the 16.62 million dollars needed to respond to the impending El Nino floods.
The severe funding shortfall jeopardizes critical relief efforts aimed at supporting over 517,000 vulnerable people across flood-prone areas of Somalia, it said.
IOM said rising floodwaters threaten to wipe out crops, devastate livelihoods, contaminate water supplies, and cut off access to healthcare and essential services, further deepening crisis levels in communities already battered by successive climate shocks.
According to IOM, while it is working with Somali authorities and local partners to strengthen early warning systems, map evacuation routes, and prepare emergency aid, acute funding shortages are bottlenecking critical response efforts.
"Without immediate resources, plans to build safe relocation sites and deliver emergency shelter, clean water, sanitation, and healthcare remain severely constrained," IOM said.
IOM called for urgent international support to scale up early action before rising floodwaters displace hundreds of thousands more families. ■