The torrential rainfall that caused flash floods in the Somali region of Ethiopia has left over 12,000 people displaced and over 20 people dead, according to a report released on Saturday by the regional authorities. Continue Reading..
According to a statement from the Somali Regional State Communication Bureau, the rain has destroyed roads and bridges, making it impossible to reach affected communities. There have also been reports of animal, agricultural, and property damages.
"Nearly 20 people have lost their lives as a result of the flood thus far. Nearly 12,000 families have reportedly been forced to migrate, per the statement.
Forecasts and rising precipitation suggest that flooding is still a significant possibility.
The UN agency in charge of humanitarian affairs, OCHA, forecast last month that the El Nino phenomenon will likely cause eastern Africa to see more rain than normal between October and December.
El Nino is a naturally occurring phenomena that has been connected to drought in some areas and bountiful rainfall in others, as well as global warming.
The Horn of Africa, where strong and frequent extreme weather events are occurring, is one of the regions most vulnerable to climate change.
The worst drought to afflict the region in forty years struck parts of Ethiopia and Kenya and devastated Somalia in late 2020.
Two months of uninterrupted rain in many East African countries resulted in at least 265 deaths and tens of thousands of people having to escape their homes at the end of 2019.
The heavy rains that devastated tens of thousands of animals in Burundi, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda also affected nearly two million people.
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