The number of people who have died in Somalia due to rains and flash floods has reached 31, information minister Daud Aweys said on Sunday.
The minister told the media that the figure could rise further, adding that Gedo region was the most affected.
The minister appealed to the international community to provide humanitarian aid to those affected.
He said heavy rains and floods being experienced across Somalia had prompted the federal government to declare a state of emergency.
“Close to half a million people have fled their homes after floods severely affected them. There are fears that up to 1.2 million people could be affected by the floods. The known death toll is 31, which the government can confirm. It is possible that the loss is worse than that,” the minister said.
“A lot of infrastructure has been destroyed. Gedo region is where most of the problem has happened.”
The UN has said Somalia is facig “once-in-a-century” floods and has released $25 million to assist victims.
