El Niño and Somalia

 

The world was experiencing last three months catastrophic floods resulted from El Niño which is climate related condition. Somalia, a fragile and torn war state is facing horrible climate catastrophe like the rest of the world. In addition, the climate variation in the country was detrimental to human life and created insecurity in many places of the country and triggered instability political landscape in the country. Hundreds of Somali lost their lives and others suffered severe conditions due to this climate related challenges. Unfortunately, Somali people and nevertheless contributing climate change factors knowingly or unknowingly. The situation in Somalia highlights the severe and rapid impacts that climate phenomena like El Niño can have, especially in regions already vulnerable to extreme weather conditions. This is not the first time Somalia is confronting such deadly floods.

 The recent months, El Niño which is globalized climate issue had impact on Somali people and hundreds of people faced dreadful conditions in urban and rural areas. El Niño floods induced adverse humanitarian conditions across the country. Displacement, blockage of roads and death of children are reported from the heavily affected areas. Towns like Bardhere, Bula Burte bridges facilitating transportation were ruined by the floods. UN described as the worst floods that brought such loses of displacement.

                                                                               https://edition.cnn.com/2023/11/26/africa/flooding-in-somalia-death-toll-climate-intl/index.html#:~:text=November%2019%2C%202023.-,AP%20Photo,-Like%20the%20rest

Recent reports from the El Niño affected areas are appalling. These reports cite that last week number of impacted people increased twice. Mostly, these people are vulnerable to the floods, they include pastoralists and internal displaced community. Those people now are under dire condition for humanitarian looking for where to hide from intense flooding as rainfall exacerbated by the weather phenomenon El Niño pummels large parts of Somalia. In neighboring country, Kenya the floods have resulted terrible conditions.

The heavy downpours have led to extensive flooding throughout the nation, causing widespread displacement and worsening an existing humanitarian emergency. The government declared an emergency as floods triggered across the country and trapped thousands of people and evacuated from their homes. As these torrential rains are getting worse, Somali Media are not paying great attention to this devastating topic and is like that flash floods are normal Deyr rain.

Ali Hussein Ahmed, 28.11.2023