UN says Flash Floods Leave 14 dead in Somalia

According to reports from the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, Flash floods resulting from heavy rains have claimed the lives of at least 14 individuals, displaced thousands, and caused property damage in the Baardheere District of the Gedo region.

The UN has additionally reported that several areas of Somalia have experienced light to moderate rain over the past week, signalling the onset of the Gu rainy season from April to June. The Gu season is the main wet season in Somalia.

Rainfall forecasts anticipate that the rains will continue throughout March in most parts of the country but with drier conditions toward the end of the season.

However, this may result in a surge in disease outbreaks, including acute watery cholera and measles, as contaminated water poses a health risk in the absence of adequate sanitation and hygiene facilities.

OCHA notes that the early onset of the rains may cause pastoral migrations, resource-based conflict, and displacement. Increased rural migration is expected, especially in the southern coastline area along the Juba River, which receives limited rain during the Gu season.