Somalia Rocked By Devastating Floods, Leading to Widespread Displacement

Somalia experiences strong flooding regularly like this one in Beletweyne, Somalia, in spring 2016. The floods this year have been considerably worse than normal. (Flickr)

Severe floods in Somalia have impacted nearly half a million people this week. Of those affected, nearly 370,000 have been displaced after either losing their homes or because they were forced to flee rising floodwaters. 

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has called for immediate action, prompted by the fact that nearly half of those affected are children, many of whom are now at heightened risk of water-borne disease and malnutrition. UNICEF warns that many children are now living in makeshift camps and are in desperate need of permanent shelter, clean food, and water.

The Norwegian Refugee Council has expressed similar concerns, citing reports from the hardest-hit city, Baladweeyne, that claim that locals are seeking shelter in tents and even under trees after floods destroyed nearly three-quarters of the city. 

The situations in Baladweeyne and the southern town of Bardaale have developed into severe humanitarian crises partially because of the cities’ poor disaster preparedness. Residents of both cities lived largely in makeshift dwellings before the floods.

Also of concern is the damage to Somalia’s agricultural industry, which was already being threatened by drought. The floods destroyed huge swaths of farmland, as well as food reserves, prompting fear among humanitarian officials that widespread hunger could become a reality. 

The Somali government itself has promised a strong response. Somali President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo toured some of the areas that were hit hardest, promising that “[the central government] will work with neighbouring countries and all relevant authorities to mitigate the crisis and ensure our people don't have to suffer again.” Any aid effort by the central government will likely be significantly hindered by Somalia’s poor infrastructure and lack of resources, however. Initial reports suggest that much of Somalia’s infrastructure, which was already in dire straits, has been severely damaged. Many roads in some of the most-affected areas have been completely destroyed.

The response from the central government may also be undermined by its lack of control over rural areas, as its authority is still largely centered around the capital, Mogadishu, despite recent progress. Weak control will likely prove to be an issue in the Hiraan region, which contains the city of Baladweeyne, as the region is still riven by conflict.

Regardless, humanitarian experts stress that swift, decisive action is required to minimize the effects of this disaster.