Dozens die as heavy rain pounds parts of Somalia, says UN

In Mogadishu, the local officials have recorded the deaths of at least 15, mostly children under the age of 10 who drowned after their houses submerged in the water during heavy rains last Friday.

News Keydmedia Online
10 May 2021

MOGADISHU, Somalia – At least 25 people have died in Somalia’s capital and nearby areas after torrential rains, with some villages swept away by floods, a UN office in Mogadishu said.

The UN OCHA said an estimated 25,000 people were displaced by floods in Jowhar, the regional capital of Middle Shabelle after the river has burst its banks last week due to the ongoing rains in the country.

In Mogadishu, the local officials have recorded the deaths of at least 15, mostly children under the age of 10 who drowned after their houses submerged in the water during heavy rains last Friday.

OCHA said among the dead include 14 children and seven internally displaced people, adding that thousands of IDPs outside the capital are now facing a severe humanitarian crisis and lack of shelter.

The rains have come too late for the planting season, hence further exacerbating already significant food security concerns in the country, said the UN agency.

The forecast suggests the rains will start to decrease from mid-May.

KEYDMEDIA English