Floods have affected more than 460,000 people in Somalia, including nearly 219,000 people who have been displaced due to the floods caused by the annual rains, the UN said.
"Floods caused by the annual rains have left a trail of destruction across the country. Homes and farmland have been inundated, livestock have been washed away and school and health facilities have temporarily shut down," Stephane Dujarric, Spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General, said in a press briefing.
According to UN estimates, up to 1.6 million people could be impacted by the floods, with more than 600,000 displaced, if the rains continue in Somalia and in the Ethiopian highlands.
The rains also increase the risk of outbreaks of waterborne diseases, the UN warns.
"We, along with our partners, are implementing a national Flood Preparedness and Response Plan, but we will need funding to meet these increasing needs. The nearly $2.6 billion Humanitarian Response Plan is only 25% funded so far," Dujarric said.
The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), for its part, and WFP have sent early warning text messages to 5,000 farmers across that state. FAO and its partners have also provided sandbags, shovels and other supplies to help clear drains and mitigate flooding.
