El Niño floods affect 175,000 people across Somalia as heavy rains damage infrastructure

During October 2026, El Niño-linked heavy rains and flash floods swept across Somalia, affecting at least 175,000 people. The hardest-hit areas included Gaalkacyo in the Mudug region, Abudwaq in the Galgaduud region, and Baidoa in the Bay region. Area-Based Coordination teams reported that the floodwaters destroyed 1,515 shelters and damaged an additional 4,498. The extreme weather also inundated or damaged 2,110 latrines, 137 water points, 72 schools, and 55 health facilities, cutting off access to essential services and compounding public health risks. Early in the season, the Food and Agriculture Organization’s Somalia Water and Land Information Management noted that several rain stations had far exceeded normal October rainfall, with Baidoa recording 279 percent of its monthly normal by 19 October 2026.

The scale of the threat continues to grow for vulnerable populations. According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs on 1 November 2026, up to 3.4 million people are projected to face flood risks between October and December 2026, particularly in the Hiraan, Middle Juba, and Lower Juba regions. Furthermore, according to the International Organization for Migration and the Danish Refugee Council on 21 October 2026, more than 874,000 people could be displaced nationwide during this period, with populations in Beledweyne and Gaalkacyo facing the highest displacement risks.

Humanitarian partners have activated a floods anticipatory action plan to mitigate the escalating crisis. According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs on 1 November 2026, this response is supported by an $8 million allocation, comprising $7 million from the Central Emergency Response Fund and $1 million from the Somalia Humanitarian Fund. However, significant funding gaps remain to help communities protect their livelihoods and relocate. On 21 October 2026, the International Organization for Migration stated it had secured only 14.4 percent of the $16.62 million required for its flood response. The response is further complicated by renewed conflict in the Bay region, which is obstructing humanitarian access, while continued heavy rainfall in the Ethiopian highlands threatens to trigger additional flooding and disrupt supply routes.