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Massive rainstorms followed by floods have forced half a million residents of Somalia to flee their homes.
The downpours have been ongoing since the beginning of the month, and are thought to be worsening due to the climate-affecting weather phenomenon El Niño.
The rain also follows a long period of drought, which led to both the risk of famine in the East African country and the fact that parched soil may have difficulty absorbing large amounts of rain.
Somalia’s Information Minister Daud Aweis says another 1.2 million residents may be affected in the near future. The confirmed death toll is around 30, but “the number may rise”.
The worst affected are the regions of Gedo in southern Somalia and Hiran in the middle of the country where the Shabelle River overflowed its banks.
The capital Mogadishu is also very vulnerable.
Neighboring countries Kenya and Ethiopia are also affected with both casualties and many fleeing their homes. Kenya’s important port city of Mombasa has been partially paralyzed by rain and flooding.
The UN humanitarian agency Ocha has previously said that the ongoing floods are “once in a century” and that 1.6 million residents there were directly threatened.