Flood waters swept through a cemetery in the central city of Galkayo in Somalia leaving dead bodies floating in the streets following the El Nino rains that have wrecked the country.
This traumatized the city’s residents, who woke up to the gruesome sight with several families fleeing the neighborhood as a result.
Currently, the residents of Galkayo live in fear of outbreaks of diseases, due to the unsanitary conditions and biohazard risks that the situation poses.
To make matters worse, due to the heavy flooding in Galkayo, most of the houses in the city are partially submerged.
Further, as the flood waters subsided, some of the unearthed human bones appeared within the rubble and the mud caused by the aftermath of the heavy rains
A section of the resident could recognize some of the dead bodies, further adding to the psychological torture caused by the event.
“The floods revealed the remains of a highly esteemed Muslim cleric. He was laid to rest 18 years ago,” one resident revealed.
However, despite the horrific sight, some residents tried to gather these remains.
Notably, Islam is the dominant religion of Somalia. According to the Islamic laws, touching a dead body is considered haram, further adding to the ghastly consequences of the unearthing.
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Heavy Rains and Floods in Somalia
The United Nations reported this as the worst flood of the century in the country located in the Horn of Africa.
Further, at least 32 people have been killed across the country.
The UN warned that more than 1.6 million people could be affected in the devastating floods which follows years of drought in Somalia.
In a press release by UN on the 9th of November, the world organization noted that it had released funds to help the country cope with the severe weather changes.
“And in Somalia, we have released $25 million to cope with the effects of once-in-a-century flooding. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs and its partners estimate that some 1.6 million people could be impacted by floods during the current “deyr” rainy season — made even more intense by a concurrence of El Niño conditions and a positive Indian Ocean Dipole phenomenon,” the press release reads in part.
El Nino in East African Countries
A report by Relief Web dated 6th of October put in ink the state of the weather in Kenya, Somalia, and other East African countries for the rest of the year.
“Rainfall forecasts for the October-December 2023 season infer a likely wetter-than-normal season because both the El Nino phenomenon and the Indian Ocean dipole (IOD) are in positive status,” the report reads.
“Enhanced rains are particularly forecast in Somalia, eastern and northern Kenya, and southern southeast Ethiopia,” it further adds.
This report is in line with the warnings from meteorological bodies that cautioned East African residents on the El Nino rains to be expected in 2023.
Likewise, the Kenya Meteorological Department director, Elvis Gikungu told Kenyans that the country was currently experiencing El Nino rains.
Also Read: El Nino to Last for Six Months; World Met
“For parts of East Africa, when we have an El Nino event, it is associated with excess rainfall and is not always that way. We have other drivers which we monitor as signals. Yes, it is El Nino, today I have looked at the features and it is positive,” Gikungu stated.
Further, the Kenya Meteorological Department issued a warning on the duration of the downpour, noting that they were expected to last from September 2023 to January 2024.
