During the autumn (Deyr) season in Somalia, torrential rains have caused extensive flooding, disrupting the movement of people and access to various services, including healthcare. This impact has been particularly severe in the Gedo region, where towns like Luuq, Bardhere, Elwak and Dolow—the epicenter of the floods—have experienced significant submersion, leading to temporary suspensions of movement for individuals, goods, and vehicles.
Shamsa Abdi (not her correct name), a 33-year-old mother of six children, is among the displaced people residing in the Diinsoor camp in the Luuq district, she was forced to relocate to higher grounds several kilometers away from her current displacement camp (IDP) settlement due to the recent flooding. Unfortunately, her home in Diinsoor camp and essential social amenities were submerged, resulting in disrupted services and limited access to food caused by impassable roads and soaring food prices.
The Somali Disaster Management Authority and key humanitarian partners issued advisories regarding the anticipated El Nino rains and activated early warning systems earlier during the summer. Despite these efforts, there have been reports of eighteen deaths resulting from the floods (Luuq 2, Garbohaarey 6, Dollow 1, Elwak 5 and 4 persons in Baardhera). The national death count from the floods has reached 118.
Caafimaad Plus Consortium partners, including Trocaire, swiftly responded and provided emergency assistance to affected families. With funding from the British Embassy Mogadishu, the Trocaire team extended critical health, nutrition, water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH), and protection services to the affected population, including individuals like Shamsa.
Shamsa and her children faced difficulties accessing food because of food shortages caused by the floods. The family was previously displaced from Rab-dhuure Bakool region, located 93 kilometres away from Luuq district, where they currently reside. This displacement occurred due to the loss of their livestock during a severe drought in 2022. Despite the challenging circumstances, their living conditions improved thanks to the services they received from health centers like Akara and Al-Amiin. As the water levels have receded in town and the health centers, Shamsa has returned to her camp in Luuq.
Shamsa’s 2-year-old son was admitted to the Therapeutic Supplementary Feeding Program (TSFP), while her elder son received treatment at the Outpatient Therapeutic Program (OTP) due to their low MUAC readings, indicating malnutrition. She expresses gratitude for the ongoing support her family and the affected communities have been receiving, as it has significantly relieved the burdens she had been carrying.
“The supplies you give us are helping my child feel better each day.” Shamsa shares.
After the water levels subsided in the town and health centers, Shamsa has returned to her camp in Luuq.
Trocaire’s mobile teams, health facilities, and nutrition programs are actively providing emergency life-saving assistance to affected families, including those in hard-to-reach locations, despite facing logistical challenges caused by the floods. Utilizing various means of transport such as motorbikes, vehicles, and boats, they are delivering essential services in WASH, health, nutrition, and protection assistance to ensure that the needs of the affected communities are met effectively.
The program integrated antenatal care for pregnant and lactating women, immunization, outpatient medical consultations, promoting hygiene, and infant-to-young child feeding practices. The provision of these services played a crucial role in delivering primary healthcare during the El Nino period when many individuals faced challenges accessing essential services. Despite damage to WASH facilities, the initiative successfully conducted community awareness programs on proper hygiene practices to minimize the risk of disease outbreaks.
The Dinsoor Camp has undergone emergency latrine construction and received distributions of hygiene kits and non-food items such as mosquito nets. Additionally, for families residing in remote and inaccessible areas, mobile teams are ensuring that crucial services reach the affected communities. Furthermore, water is being trucked to those whose water sources have been compromised.
After four months of emergency response activities starting from October 2023, Trocaire programs successfully reached over 85000 people with health access services at community level, and static health facilities including referrals, skilled birth, malaria, pneumonia measles and diarrhea treatment, community emergency health services.
Food prices in Somalia have increased due to various factors, including floods, the conflict in the Red Sea, and inflation. However, thanks to the British Embassy Mogadishu funding, the Caafimaad Plus Consortium partners are providing life-saving assistance to the affected families.
In October 2023, during the El Nino rains in the Horn of Africa, the Caafimaad Plus Consortium, consisting of six partners (Action Against Hunger as the lead partner, SOS Children’s Villages, Concern Worldwide, International Medical Corpse, Juba Foundation, and Trocaire), received £4 million in funding. These partners, located in various locations throughout Somalia, are utilizing the provided funds to mitigate the adverse effects of El Niño. Our efforts aim to prevent devastating outcomes such as loss of life, increased levels of hunger, and the worsening conditions for the millions of families already struggling due to the prolonged drought in Somalia.
