The government of Somalia announced on Thursday that about two million people had been affected by the disastrous floods that had claimed close to 100 lives.

Like other nations in the Horn of Africa, Somalia is experiencing flash floods and torrential rains as it emerges from a drought that has left millions of people on the verge of starvation.
The flood calamity, which has forced about 700,000 people from their homes, submerged entire neighborhoods and farmland, and destroyed bridges, prompted the government to proclaim a state of emergency earlier this month.

The cabinet said in a statement Thursday after a briefing by the National Disaster Management Agency that about 96 people have lost their lives and almost two million have been affected.

“The federal government of Somalia is carrying out efforts to assist people who were affected by the floods and the cabinet has appealed to the humanitarian agencies and the Somali public to help those affected,” it said.

The heavy rainfall is linked to the El Nino weather phenomenon, which is expected to last until at least April next year.

The Horn of Africa is one of the regions most vulnerable to climate change and extreme weather events are occurring with increased frequency and intensity.

According to the UN’s humanitarian agency OCHA, dozens of people have also perished in flooding in Ethiopia and Kenya, and aid groups have warned that the situation is only likely to worsen.