After severe drought, now intense floods in Somalia
Due to heavy rainfall, 2.4 million people in Somalia have become victims of flooding. Therefore, Help a Child provides emergency assistance in the areas around Kismayo and Baardheere for the next six months.
From October to December, Somalia experiences its rainy season. Intense rainfall caused several rivers to overflow, leading to flooding in parts of Somalia. In Baardheere, 42,236 people fled their homes, and in Kismayo 62,605. In total, more than 2.4 million people have been affected by the severe weather and subsequent floods.
Humanitarian crisis
The humanitarian crisis among the affected people is severe: hospitals are damaged, there is a significant shortage of medicines, and medical assistance is limited. Most refugees end up in camps with makeshift shelters, lacking access to basic necessities such as clean water and other hygiene facilities.
Assistance and training
In collaboration with the Dutch Relief Alliance, Help a Child takes action. Over the next six months, we will provide emergency assistance in the areas of health and hygiene. This assistance focuses on vulnerable groups such as (pregnant) women, mothers, and children under the age of five. We involve village communities in providing this assistance. Together with village elders and (youth) leaders, decisions are made on how and from where aid should be delivered. Additionally, we provide training on WASH: water, sanitation facilities, and hygiene.
Climate change
Just six months ago, Somalia was facing the worst drought in forty years. The significant shift now illustrates the impact of climate change on countries like Somalia. Help a Child continues to advocate for children and families there. We are grateful for the additional budget allocated to the Dutch Relief Alliance.
Dutch Relief Alliance
The Dutch Relief Alliance consists of fourteen Dutch humanitarian organizations collaborating with the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs and many local organizations to provide emergency aid in countries such as Somalia and South Sudan.
Partner organization Zamzam gives a video update on the situation in Somalia and the assistance we can offer with the Dutch Relief Alliance.