Somalia: Deyr rainy season 2023 Flash Update No. 3 (28 October 2023)

This Flash Update is prepared by OCHA, in coordination with humanitarian partners and authorities in Somalia and covers the situation as of 28 October 2023. The next update will be issued as soon as additional information is available.

Key Highlights

• According to rapid assessments conducted by humanitarian partners and local authorities, about 278,000 people were affected by the impact of the seasonal Deyr rains and related flash flooding between 4 and 25, in Galmudug, Hirshabelle, Jubaland, and South West states.

• The majority of the affected people, most of whom are in displacement sites have reportedly returned to their normal lives after the flash floods subsided. They however remain vulnerable to subsequent flooding if the rains continue as forecast, since most of the displacement sites are located in low-lying areas.

• According to partners and the authorities in the four states, about 43,840 people have been relocated to higher grounds due to floods; 88 per cent (about 38,360 people) were recorded in Hirshabelle state.

• Humanitarian partners, in collaboration with the authorities have initiated targeted responses to the most vulnerable people, prioritizing those displaced and/or relocated due to floods.

• Partners have reported critical gaps across sectors and are appealing for additional support, as the floods have increased the humanitarian needs in affected areas. Clusters had already reported significant funding shortfalls, impacting their programmes.

Situation Overview

Somalia has recorded a fluctuation in the amount of rainfall recorded across several parts of the country, since the heavy to moderate rains received between 4 and 22 October, in Galmudug, Hirshabelle, Jubaland and South West states. Apart from Baidoa District, South West state, which received moderate rains on the night of 25 and 28 October, the rest of the country received light rains during this reporting period. Save for Jamame District in Jubaland state, where partners reported riverine flooding on 14 October, the reported flash floods in other areas are mainly a result of heavy rainfall, which generally subsides within a few days once the rain stops.

As a result, the majority of the affected people have returned to their settlements, while about 43,800 people have relocated to higher grounds due to the risk of anticipatory riverine flooding, especially in Hirshabelle, Jubaland, and Galmudug states. Partners estimate that about 2,112 shelters have been destroyed, including 1,222 in South West, 877 in Jubaland, and 92 in Galmudug states. The displaced people have either integrated within existing settlements and among host communities in respective areas.

According to local authorities, at least four people have reportedly died due to the impact of the rains and flash floods, including three in Baidoa, and a 13-year-old girl who reportedly drowned on 20 October in Ceel Huur village, Galmudug state. At least three people are still missing in Baidoa and Galmudug states, and another 150 were reportedly injured in Luuq District in Jubaland, during the heavy rainfall on 22 October.

Overall, the results of rapid assessments conducted by humanitarian partners and local authorities in parts of Galmudug, Hirshabelle, Jubaland and South West states, show that about 278,000 people were affected by the heavy rains and related flash floods between 4 and 22 October. Despite the majority returning to their normal lives, they remain vulnerable to subsequent flooding should the rains continue as forecast, as most of the settlements are located in low-lying areas. The communities further face an increased risk of water- and vector-borne diseases, as well as other harsh environmental conditions due to increased pools of stagnant water in some displacement sites and damages to their shelters. A number of latrines are reportedly flooded and are overflowing into residential areas, raising the risks of infection.

Protection Cluster partners have raised concerns over the reported increase in protection cases due to the vulnerability posed by the destruction from the rains and flash floods. In Baidoa, partners identified over 3,245 pregnant women and 4,945 lactating mothers among those affected by the floods in 160 displacement sites in the town. Over 83 per cent of the affected homes are reportedly female-led households. The women are highly vulnerable in the event of continued rains, displacement, and disease outbreaks.

Access to the affected areas is challenging during the rainy season as the roads become muddy and impassable, hindering timely assessment and response. Local authorities and partners in Baidoa have reported an increase in the prices of local staple foods such as sorghum and maize, as well as some imported items in Berdaale, South West state, compared to the first week of October, reportedly due to the high cost of transport caused by the impassable roads from Mogadishu to the Bay Region.

Humanitarian partners, in collaboration with the authorities, have activated targeted emergency responses in inaccessible areas. Emergency preparedness and flood response coordination meetings continue to be held, under the leadership of the state Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management, across the country.

According to humanitarian partners, the flooding situation has increased the need for emergency relief supplies, in a context where partners critical response gaps had been identified across sectors. Emergency needs include shelter and non-food items, food, water, sanitation and hygiene services, and the relocation of people of people who are vulnerable to repeated flooding.