Heavy rainfall attributed to the El Nino climate pattern has caused widespread flooding in the Horn of Africa – Somalia, Ethiopia and Kenya. Since the beginning of the rainy season that lasts from early October to December, heavy rains have created wetter than usual conditions, leading to the destruction of property and loss of life.
Flooding after drought
After three years of drought and hunger in the region, the rains should have brought great relief to families who lost livelihoods and farmland to the dry spell. Sadly, such intense rains have simply brought further hardship to those who were already suffering.
SOS Children’s Villages in Somalia has programmes in Baidoa and Berdale which are among the most affected areas. Baidoa hosts one of the highest number of families who were internally displaced by the drought across the country.
Mr. Said Bashir, the national programme director for SOS Children’s Villages in Somalia, calls the flood situation an “emergency over another emergency”.
"The displaced people depend on the host communities as far as livelihood is concerned and now both are affected. It is a double tragedy for these families.
We are currently diverting our existing programme resources to address the current emergency. We are providing cash grants to 300 families in Baidoa, psychosocial support for children, and we have mobile doctors going around the camp examining children and providing treatment. Malnourished children are receiving high nutrition biscuits. The needs are, however, so much greater than our capacity."
Mr. Bashir says they are also offering water trucking, WASH kits, non-food items, and dignity kits for women and 27,082 people have benefitted so far.
Families seeking shelter and safety
Families from highly affected areas are looking for refuge in Mogadishu. SOS Children’s Villages in Somalia has supported 14,500 people with integrated services including protection, health, and nutrition.
Accessing some regions in need of help is difficult since the roads are damaged or so muddy the vehicles cannot move. “If the rains stop in the coming days, we will be able to reach families that are not reachable at the moment,” Mr. Bashir says.
Berdale, for example, is impossible to access as the whole town is flooded. The SOS Children’s Villages warehouse with emergency supplies has been flooded as well and all items are soaked in water.
"Our staff on the ground have lost their homes and have moved to live in camps, meaning we can provide little response here.
The WFP (World Food Programme) was able to fly our medicines from Mogadishu to Baidoa last week. We are getting a bit of logistical support but we really need more funds to eradicate the suffering of many children and families in Somalia,"
Families and children displaced in Ethiopia
The Somali Region of Ethiopia is most affected by the intense rainfall. The Shebelle River broke its banks flooding Kelafo district where SOS Children’s Villages has a family empowerment programme.
Around 340 households, including 1,850 children, have been displaced. Although 30 families are able to be accommodated at the SOS Children’s Village Vocational Centre, the rest are without shelter. They are exposed to continuous rains, mosquito bites at night, food shortages, unprotected water and poor hygiene and sanitation which could increase the rate of malnutrition and the outbreak of disease.
SOS Children’s Villages in Ethiopia is planning to provide the families with rice, white flour, oil and milk powder, as well as temporary shelters, household utensils, blankets, and bed sheets.
Rapid assessment in Nairobi
The rains have adversely affected families in the family empowerment programme in Nairobi, the capital, Mombasa on the coast, and Meru and Isiolo in the eastern region.
A team from SOS Children’s Villages in Kenya is carrying out a rapid assessment of the situation. Official figures indicate that 60 people have died and over 130,000 are displaced in the country.
