by MAGDALINE SAYA
Thursday November 9, 2023

Regional weatherman has called on national governments and humanitarian organisations to enhance preparedness and emergency response in the wake of heavy rainfall.

This is as per the latest warning by Nairobi-based IGAD Climate Prediction and Applications Centre (ICPAC) released on Wednesday.

The ICPAC report usually covers Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Somalia, South Sudan, Ethiopia, Sudan, Burundi and Rwanda.

IGAD- ICPAC has warned that very heavy to extremely heavy rainfall is expected in parts of northern Kenya, southern Ethiopia, southern Somalia, parts of Burundi and Rwanda and northern Tanzania.

According to the regional forecast covering Wednesday, November 8 to Wednesday next week, heavy rainfall (greater than 200mm) is expected in Western, Central and Northern Kenya, northern Burundi, south-western Rwanda, and isolated areas in southern Somalia.

“This is likely to exacerbate the current flooding conditions occurring across the region. In the past week, widespread flood was recorded over Somalia, Ethiopia, Kenya, and Burundi,” ICPAC said.

“Landslides have also been experienced and the heavy to extremely heavy rainfall that is predicted in some of these areas could make the situation worse,” it added.

ICPAC says moderate rainfall (50-200mm) is expected over most parts of Kenya, southern Somalia, Uganda, Rwanda, northern and western Tanzania, and western and southern South Sudan.

“Wetter than usual conditions expected over most parts of Kenya, South Sudan, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi and parts of southern Sudan, southern Ethiopia, northern Tanzania, and central to southern Somalia,” it warns.

However, dry conditions are expected over Djibouti, Eritrea, parts of northern Somalia, northern and eastern Ethiopia, and central to northern Sudan.

During the period, moderate to high temperatures of between 20-32 degrees Celsius are expected over parts of eastern and northern Kenya, most parts of Sudan, South Sudan, Uganda, Tanzania, Somalia, Djibouti, Eritrea and south-eastern and north-eastern Ethiopia.

Temperatures of less than 20 degrees Celsius are expected in parts of Central to Western Kenya, parts of northern, and central to southern Ethiopia, western Rwanda and Burundi and isolated areas in Tanzania and Sudan.

“Elevated levels of heat stress are expected over eastern Kenya, parts of central to southern Sudan, South Sudan, central to southern Somalia, and most coastal regions.”

This comes amid reports that at least 15 people have died as different parts of the country continue to experience heavy rains.

In an update on Monday, the Red Cross stated that as of November 5, 2023, 15,264 households had been affected.

With animals not being left out, 1, 067 livestock have died as a result of the heavy rains.

Thursday November 9, 2023

At least 29 people have been killed and more than 850,000 displaced due to flooding triggered by heavy rains in Somalia, according to the country’s disaster management authorities.

Mohamed Moalim, commissioner of the Somali Disaster Management Agency (SoDMA), said that more than 305,000 people have been displaced throughout the country as riverine flooding along the Juba and Shabelle rivers continues to wreak havoc.

“The torrential rains have claimed 29 lives, caused injuries, property damage, and affected 850,000 people,” Moalim told journalists in Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia. He warned communities to remain vigilant due to the high risk of riverine flooding along the entire stretch of the Juba River, particularly in Gedo, Bakool and Bay regions in southern Somalia, and flash flooding in low-lying areas.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, through its Somalia Water and Land Information Management, has warned of further flooding across Somalia, estimated to impact 1.2 million people residing in riverine areas.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reported Monday that emergency rescuers were working to evacuate 2,400 people still trapped by floodwaters in the Luuq district in southern Somalia. This adds to the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Somalia, where more than 3.7 million people are experiencing extreme hunger. The number is expected to increase to 4.3 million by December, partly due to the impact of flooding caused by the ongoing heavy rains.

Somalia declared an emergency in areas affected by the torrential deyr (October to December) rains Sunday, according to SoDMA. The heavy rains come after Somalia suffered its worst drought in four decades, following five failed rainy seasons that decimated livestock and crops, pushing the country to the brink of famine.