United Kingdom pledges £5 million for Somalia flood preparedness

The United Kingdom has committed £5 million in humanitarian funding to assist Somalia in preparing for potential El Niño-driven flooding during the upcoming October-to-December Deyr rainy season. The initiative aims to benefit approximately 600,000 people, including residents of nearly 100 internally displaced persons camps.

The funding will support early warning systems, temporary relocation efforts, flood defenses, and essential services such as health, nutrition, water, and sanitation. Specific focus will be placed on flood-prone areas near Jowhar and Beletweyne. Additionally, the package is intended to keep 71 health facilities operational and expand mobile health services to isolated populations.

This announcement was made at the Country Humanitarian Forum in Mogadishu. The Food and Agriculture Organization has warned that central and southern Somalia face a 90% chance of above-average rainfall due to El Niño. Somali disaster management authorities estimate that flooding could impact between 2.5 million and 3.5 million people, potentially displacing up to 1 million individuals from farming and grazing lands.