The UN’s World Health Organization (WHO) said on Wednesday (November 8) that it was scaling up efforts to respond to any cholera outbreaks in Somalia as the country experiences some of its heaviest seasonal rainfalls in recent years.
The global health agency said in a report that it was raising its level of “cholera preparedness and response activities in anticipation for flash floods resulting from El Nino season”, which started in October.
The announcement came a day after the Somali government’s Disaster Management Agency (SoDMA) said torrential rains had claimed 29 lives, caused property damage and affected 850,000 people across the country.
The UN’s humanitarian office OCHA said on November 8 that “the amount and intensity of rain has been exceptional in Hiraan, Bakool, Bay, Gedo and Saakow districts” in central and southwest Somalia.
“Several areas have received far more rain in the last seven days than they would record over the October to December season,” it added.
The UN warned on November 3 that “there is a high risk” of flooding in “low-lying and vulnerable areas”, particularly in the southwest of the country.
