Somalia government announces USD500,000 aid to flood-affected victims

The government of Somalia on Wednesday has announced USD500,000 to help thousands of victims affected by floods, according to a news report by Horseed Media.

Flooding has caused mass displacement, shortages of food, and clean water and is worsened by an invasion of desert locusts which have fed on green plants that could be used for food.

Somalia state television reported that President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo urged joint relief efforts to assist and rescue families and those affected by the Shabelle river floods in Afgoye in southwestern Somalia.

Roads in Somalia have been destroyed, communication networks cut, residents displaced and businesses disrupted as floods continue to wreak havoc.

Aid groups have warned that those affected are in dire need of humanitarian assistance.

Somalia's Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs has said more than 37,000 people in Somalia have been affected by flash floods caused by heavy rains, causing a humanitarian crisis in the regions affected.

The Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management said about 15,400 people have been displaced as heavy rains pound the regions on the south-eastern coast of the country causing flash floods as well as riverine flooding.

"Floods have disrupted business activities, communication networks, and roads within the city and have impacted community livelihoods," said the ministry in a statement issued in Mogadishu.