MOGADISHU, Somalia – The Chairman of the Disaster Management Agency Mr. Mohamud Ma’allin and heads of United Nations agencies, led by the Deputy Special Envoy of Somalia to the United Nations and the head of the Office of Humanitarian Affairs, today jointly announced an assessment of the impact of the rains in El -Nino at the end of last year.
The assessment, which will be conducted by a team of experts from various sectors, aims to evaluate the extent of the damage caused by the heavy rains and floods that affected more than 1.2 million people in Somalia, especially in the riverine areas. The assessment will also identify the priority needs and gaps in the humanitarian response and recovery efforts.
The two sides also discussed that around 75 people will be trained to prepare and present the effects of the El Niño situation, which is heavy rains that fell in the country at the end of last year in 2023
The conference was also attended by heads of the World Bank, the European Union and the Ministry of Planning and Investment Development. The participants agreed to coordinate and collaborate on the implementation of the assessment and the training, as well as to mobilize resources and support for the affected communities.
The Somali government declared a national state of emergency in October 2023 after extreme weather exacerbated by El Niño destroyed homes, roads and bridges. An El Niño is a natural, temporary and occasional warming of part of the Pacific that shifts weather patterns across the globe, often by moving the airborne paths for storms.
The UN and its partners have been providing humanitarian assistance to the flood-affected population, including food, water, sanitation, health, shelter and protection services.
