Rapid Assessments Reveal Widespread Humanitarian Needs in Somalia

Continuous cycle of drought to deluge and back again, put Somalia reeling in years to come. 

Somalia's Gu rains, which typically bring moderate precipitation between April and June, have this year triggered unprecedented flooding across the country. In Doolow, the district along Somalia's border with Ethiopia, a single day in May 2024 recorded 117mm of rainfall - equivalent to three months' worth of normal precipitation. The Juba River, one of Somalia's major waterways, surged from 4.48 to 5.22 meters, breaching critical flood thresholds and forcing communities to evacuate.

Aerial picture of flood devastation in Southern Somalia in May 2023. Photo: ©Awale Koronto, 2023/Save the Children

The severity of this year's floods has devastated communities that were still recovering from recent drought, causing extensive damage to basic infrastructure, homes, agricultural land, and essential services. According to assessments from 25 districts, the disaster has affected 268,000 people, displaced 81,300, and claimed nine lives.

"The impact of the flooding is much worse because the soil is so damaged from an unprecedented recent drought – years of conflict and al-Shabab militia's presence also makes building flood defenses and resilience more complex and costly," says Nazanine Moshiri, a climate analyst at the International Crisis Group.

Somalia's position along the Horn of Africa makes it particularly susceptible to both drought and flooding. The country's two major rivers - the Juba and Shabelle - traditionally bring life-giving water to riverine communities. But in 2024, these same rivers have become conduits for destruction.

Scientists say climate change is causing more intense and more frequent extreme weather events, leaving the Horn of Africa particularly vulnerable.

The Kismayo district's infrastructure damage has affected nearly 40,000 people, disrupting essential services and market access. In Qoryooley, where three displacement sites shelter 669 newly displaced people, humanitarian needs mount daily. Afmadow's residents face a shelter crisis, while Marka's agricultural losses threaten long-term food security.

In typically less prone to flooding northern regions, the impact has been severe. Flash floods in North Gaalkacyo and Jariiban have transformed communities into emergency zones, with hundreds of households displaced in Khayrdoon settlement alone. School damage in Xarfo has disrupted education, while Ballibusle village grapples with the displacement of 250 families.

A flooded school in Southern Somalia. Photo: ©Awale Koronto, 2023/Save the Children

Humanitarian Response Challenges

The scale of humanitarian needs following Somalia's floods has overwhelmed existing response capacities. A Post Disaster Needs Assessment conducted by the Somali government, UN, World Bank, and European Union reveals the devastating scope: US$176 million in losses and damages across sixteen districts, with direct damages to agriculture, water, sanitation, education, and other key sectors surpassing US$126.6 million.

iMMAP Inc.'s series of Rapid Needs Assessments across Somalia's most affected districts has proved crucial in understanding the granular reality of these challenges. These assessments have enabled humanitarian organizations to identify precise gaps in assistance and access constraints across different regions. The assessments document specific challenges in each district: river breakages isolating communities in Balcad, damaged infrastructure hampering aid delivery in Afgooye, and disrupted market systems in Kismayo all creating unique obstacles to humanitarian response.

The detailed district-level data from iMMAP Inc.'s assessments complement the broader national picture. While river breakages isolate communities in Balcad and damaged infrastructure hampers aid delivery in Afgooye, the assessments show how these local challenges connect to wider systemic issues affecting the humanitarian response.

The Somali government estimates US$230 million is needed for recovery efforts. "The recent floods left significant destruction of property and loss of lives in Somalia, affecting millions of lives, and increasing vulnerabilities of an already vulnerable population," says Deputy Prime Minister Salah Ahmad Jama back in June 2024 in Mogadishu. While various donors including the World Bank have committed funds for emergency assistance, significant funding gaps remain.

The crisis has hit hardest among already vulnerable groups, including nomadic populations, rural communities, children, and female-headed households - many of whom were still recovering from the severe 2020-2023 drought when the floods struck.

Project Overview: Humanitarian Information Support Team (HIST) Somalia

In late 2023, following the successful testing of the Humanitarian Information Support Team (HIST) model in Ethiopia and Nigeria, iMMAP Inc. introduced HIST to support the roll out of the model in Somalia. This demand-driven and centralized Information Management request system simplifies the support provided to local and international humanitarian actors involved in the Somalia Response.

The initiative centers on the establishment of an Information Management Unit that supports and collaborates with humanitarian actors, including UN Agencies, NGOs and INGOs working across various clusters and sectors, including UN OCHA Food Security and Livelihood, Nutrition and WASH clusters, to enhance data collection, validation, analysis, and reporting. This initiative includes the capacity building of the partners, development of interactive dashboards, spatial analysis, and mapping to support processes like the Humanitarian Needs Overview (HNO) and Humanitarian Response Needs Plan (HRNP).