Torrential rains claim 9 lives, affect 24,000 more in Somalia: UN

United Nations, May 15 (IANS) More torrential rains have hit Somalia, this time in Banadir, northeast of the capital Mogadishu, killing nine people and triggering deadly flooding 24,000 people being affected, UN humanitarians said.

"Key infrastructure was destroyed, and shelters in displacement sites were swept away," said the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) on Wednesday.

"The federal government is leading the response, and the UN and its partners are supporting and delivering food, shelter items, hygiene kits and cash."

OCHA said the Banadir rain started on Friday, adding to the heavy seasonal downpours that began in mid-April, causing flash flooding that has claimed 17 lives and affected more than 84,000 people across Somalia, Xinhua news agency reported.

Despite heavy rains in most areas of the country, dry and hot conditions persist in parts of northern regions.

The office said the flooding came when severe funding cuts forced humanitarian partners in Somalia to scale back or even close critical programs.

The $1.4-billion Somalia Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan is 11 per cent funded, with only $158 million received to date.

OCHA said Somalia's humanitarian crisis is among the world's most complex, driven by cycles of internal conflict and climate shocks that drive displacement and undermine development efforts.

The cumulative effect of both violence and climate shocks continues to drive displacement and destroy livelihoods, leaving millions of people in urgent need of assistance.

The humanitarians said these shocks' increased frequency and severity have left large population segments in prolonged states of risk and vulnerability.

Light to heavy Gu (April to June) seasonal rains have triggered localised flooding in several parts of the country since mid-April.

The UN agency said the Somali government has formed a committee that includes federal ministers and regional officials to respond to the flooding crisis.

Somalia, a country where nearly two-thirds of the population depends on agriculture for their livelihoods, has experienced extreme climate shocks in the past, including prolonged dry seasons causing drought and heavy rains leading to flooding, media reported.

Many communities, initially displaced by drought or conflict, have been displaced a second or third time by floods or renewed violence.

--IANS

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