UN agency warns nearly 874,000 could be displaced by floods in Somalia

Nearly 874,000 people could be displaced in Somalia over the next three months as heavy rainfall and rising rivers threaten communities already affected by drought and repeated displacement, the UN migration agency warned Wednesday. In a statement, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said projections developed with the Danish Refugee Council estimate that 874,319 people could be displaced between October and December, with flooding accounting for 92% of the total. “We are looking at the possibility of hundreds of thousands of people losing their homes in just a matter of weeks,” said Manuel Marques Pereira, IOM Somalia chief of mission. The warning comes as Somalia enters a rainy season forecast to bring above-normal rainfall amid strengthening El Nino conditions. IOM said it has secured only 14.4% of the $16.62 million required to prepare for and respond to flooding, with the funding intended to assist more than 517,000 people. Beletweyne and Gaalkacyo face particularly “greatest threat,” with nearly 229,000 and 82,000 people, respectively, at risk of displacement. The agency said rising river levels and heavy rainfall are already threatening communities, while flooding could destroy crops, contaminate water sources and disrupt access to healthcare. IOM urged immediate international funding to strengthen early warning systems, prepare evacuation routes and provide emergency shelter, clean water and sanitation.