The worst-ever recorded cyclone has hit the Horn of Africa killing more than 30 people while dozens of others are still missing. Reports say the tropical cyclone accompanied by heavy rains slammed into the Horn of Africa last weekend. Mogadishu Mayor, Abdirahman Osman, said the storm killed at least six people in the Somali capital. More than 300 homes there are under water following heavy rains.
Authorities in the self-declared Republic of Somaliland confirmed that at least 25 people in the Awdal, Sahel and Salal regions died. Most of the victims were believed to have been swept away by flash floods. An official in the Salal region, Abdi Elmi, said the death toll could rise as rescue teams try to reach remote areas of the region affected by the rains.
The Norwegian Refugee Council, NRC, said more than 10,000 people were displaced in Somaliland, while homes and fishing boats were destroyed in Puntland. The NRC also reported the deaths of two people in Djibouti, where it said 20,000 people are affected by flooding.
The Somali government and United Nations have appealed for $80 million to provide immediate help for people affected by recent flooding in the country’s south-central regions.
According to the United Nations, the heaviest rains in three decades continue to fall across Somalia. There is also heavy rainfall in the Ethiopian highlands where two rivers that pass through Somalia originate. The UN says 772,500 people have been affected by flooding in Somalia with more than 229,000 displaced.
