Somalia floods: provisional death toll reaches 50

Flash flooding in Somalia has now killed at least 50 people and driven nearly 700,000 from their homes, a government official said.

The Horn of Africa region is experiencing torrential rainfall and floods linked to the El Nino weather phenomenon, claiming dozens of lives and causing large-scale displacement, including in Somalia, where the downpours have destroyed bridges and inundated residential areas.

The Somali Disaster Management Agency director warned on Monday (Nov. 20) that the expected "rains between 21st and 24th of November" could cause more flooding and lead to even more deaths and destruction.

On Saturday (Nov. 18), the UN humanitarian agency OCHA said 1.7 million people overall have been affected by the disaster.

The destruction of infrastructure has led to increased prices of basic commodities, according to OCHA.

British charity Save the Children on November 16 said thousands had been forced from their homes in Kenya, Somalia and Ethiopia due to flash flooding.

The Horn of Africa is emerging from the worst drought in four decades after multiple failed rainy seasons that left millions of people in need and devastated crops and livestock.