Flooding caused by torrential rains has killed one person and displaced thousands in Ethiopia’s Somali Region, according to the local government on Saturday.
“At this point, more than 20 people have died in the floods, and more than 12,000 families have been displaced,” the Somali Regional State Communication Office said in a statement. Bridge and road destruction has reportedly made it difficult to reach affected areas, complicating rescue efforts.
The above-average rainfall in East Africa between October and December has been attributed to the El Nino weather phenomenon, according to data from the UN Humanitarian Coordination Office (OCHA). Because of El Nino, the Pacific jet stream moves further south and east, causing temperatures to rise.
“Floods due to heavy rains have affected at least 405,652 people, with fourteen deaths” since the start of monsoon season in Somali Region, which runs from October to December, the OCHA reported on Saturday. “At least 47,100 people have relocated to higher grounds to avoid the risk of flooding,” it added.
Flooding has also occurred along the banks of the Juba River in Somalia’s Jubbaland state as a result of the heavy rains that began last month.
The Somalian town of Beledweyne was submerged earlier this year due to flooding of the Shabelle River, forcing approximately 250,000 people to flee their homes.
Meanwhile, Ghana was also impacted by flooding three weeks ago. The Akosombo Dam broke during the rainy season, forcing over 4,000 people to flee their homes.
In Burundi, Djibouti, Kenya, Ethiopia, Somalia, Tanzania, South Sudan, and Uganda, recent severe weather has affected nearly two million people and washed away thousands of livestock animals.
