Somalilandsun – Flooding caused by heavy rains in Somalia and the Ethiopian highlands has affected just over half a million people in Somalia since 21 October, of whom 370,000 have been displaced from their homes. At least 17 people have died, including 2 children.
Highlights
• Belet Weyne district in Hiraan region is worst affected with 231,000 people displaced from their homes. Another 55,000 people have been displaced in Baardheere in Gedo region of Jubaland while 30,000 people, many of them women and children, have been affected by heavy rains in Berdale district in South West State.
• Farmland and infrastructure have been destroyed and livelihoods disrupted in some of the worst-hit areas. Significant losses of livestock are reported. More than 10,000 hectares of cropland has been damaged in Jowhar and Mahaday Weyne in Middle Shabelle. Three quarters of Berdale town (60 km west of Baidoa) is submerged under flood water.
• Humanitarian partners are working with a task force in Hirshabelle State and the inter-ministerial committee consisting of the ministries of health, internal affairs, energy, water, agriculture, education, planning and information. In South West State, UN agencies, AMISOM and local leaders are jointly planning flood responses.
• Drawing from own resources, supply stockpiles and reprogramming, agencies and their partners have managed to respond to the ongoing floods crisis and have reached at least 105,000 with assistance. The assistance has however been disparate across the regions and falls short of the time-critical scale up required to avert a disaster.
• Humanitarian agencies have broadened and scaled up their flood responses in close coordination with the Government. The UNHAS fleet has been enhanced by helicopter and fixed-wing flights to deliver tonnes of supplies to affected regions.
• This Flood Response Plan – Phase I – will cover the possibility of continued or increased flooding through December and likely to the end of January. Impact assessments of the extent of flood impact will be undertaken and if necessary, Phase II will be implemented.
• The plan requires US$72.5 million to implement. Some $25 million has been made available by mid-November, mostly through the two pooled funds and limited bilateral contributions. About $11 million has been made available by the Somalia Humanitarian Fund (SHF) in addition to the $8 million released by the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) for immediate life-saving activities. Further funding has been provided by ECHO and DFID, but another $47.5 million is required to meet the immediate needs of the flood-affected population.
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