Floods kill at least 31 in Somalia. UN warns of a flood event likely to happen once in 100 years

By OMAR FARUK
Associated Press

MOGADISHU, Somalia (AP) — Somali authorities say floods caused by torrential rainfall have killed at least 31 people in various parts of the country. Since October, floods have displaced nearly half a million people and disrupted the lives of over 1.2 million people, and have caused extensive damage to civilian infrastructure notably in the Gedo region of southern Somalia, officials said Sunday. The capital, Mogadishu, has been ravaged by downpours that, at times, swept away vulnerable people, including children and the elderly. The U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs warned in a statement Thursday of “a flood event of a magnitude statistically likely only once in 100 years, with significant anticipated humanitarian impacts.”