Somalia Flooding Could Displace More Than 874,000 People, UN Warns

• New estimates project that 874,319 people could be displaced between October and December, with flooding accounting for 92% of the projected total
• The IOM’s Somalia chief of mission warns that hundreds of thousands may lose their homes in the coming weeks

Updated 4 min 33 sec ago

October 22, 2026 02:40

More than 800,000 people in Somalia could be forced to leave their homes over the next three months because of flooding, the UN International Organization for Migration warned Wednesday.

Somalia is entering a rainy season expected to bring above-average rainfall, compounded by the strengthening El Niño weather phenomenon, the IOM said.

New projections by the IOM and the Danish Refugee Council estimate that 874,319 people could be displaced between October and December, with flooding accounting for 92% of the projected displacement.

“We are looking at the possibility of hundreds of thousands of people losing their homes in just a matter of weeks,” said Manuel Marques Pereira, the IOM’s Somalia chief of mission. “Many of these families have already been displaced before and have very little left to fall back on. There is still time to reduce the impact, but that window is closing. We urgently need funding to help people protect their homes and livelihoods, reach safer ground where necessary, and avoid another cycle of displacement.”

The IOM said it had secured only 14% of the $16.62 million required to prepare for and respond to El Niño-related flooding.

Signs of flooding are already emerging, with rivers approaching flood levels, reaching the tops of their banks, and heavy rainfall damaging homes.

Beyond the immediate threat to homes, rising floodwaters could destroy crops, contaminate water sources and restrict access to essential services.

The agency called for urgent international support to expand preparedness before floodwaters arrive.

The UN weather agency said Wednesday that the current El Niño could be unprecedented in strength. The UN aid chief added that Somalia, Ethiopia and Kenya need supplies within the next two weeks, ahead of heavy rains.

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