Issued by: British Embassy Mogadishu

The UK has announced £5 million to help Somali communities prepare for anticipated El Niño flooding and support essential services for up to 600,000 people.

The United Kingdom has announced £5 million in new humanitarian funding to help vulnerable communities in Somalia prepare for anticipated El Niño-related flooding during the October to December Deyr rainy season.

The funding will strengthen early warning systems, help families move to safety, and ensure essential health, nutrition and water services remain available to communities affected by flooding. This includes support for people living in almost 100 internally displaced person (IDP) camps, the provision of mobile health services, and efforts to protect livelihoods in flood-prone areas, particularly in Jowhar and Beletweyne.

Up to 600,000 people are expected to benefit from essential health, nutrition, water, sanitation and protection services, including support to keep up to 71 health facilities operational and reach communities displaced or cut off by flooding.

The announcement comes as Somalia prepares for El Niño, with recurring droughts, conflict and displacement affecting communities across the country. An estimated 2.5 million to 3.5 million people could be affected by flooding, making early action critical to protecting lives and livelihoods.

Chris Pycroft, Development Director at the British Embassy Mogadishu, said:

"Floods don’t have to become humanitarian disasters. Acting early means families can move to safety, essential services can remain available and livelihoods can be protected.

"By investing now, we can save lives and help Somali communities withstand future climate shocks."

The announcement was made at the Country Humanitarian Forum in Mogadishu on 23 September, bringing together the Somali government, humanitarian organisations and international partners to strengthen preparedness ahead of the anticipated flooding.

This additional funding builds on UK’s wider humanitarian and development partnership with Somalia, providing life-saving assistance and supporting longer-term efforts to build resilience and support communities to withstand future climate shocks.

Further information

• the £5 million allocation for Somalia will be made available through the FCDO’s Humanitarian Crisis Fund and forms part of the UK’s wider £15 million announcement [https://tinyurl.com/ycztrks4] to support countries most at risk from El Niño

• the funding will be delivered through two existing UK-supported programmes, Caafimaad Plus (£2.5 million) and RESTORE (£2.5 million)

• Caafimaad Plus: led by Action Against Hunger, the funding will support essential health, nutrition, water, sanitation and protection services for up to 600,000 people, including maintaining up to 71 supported health facilities and expanding mobile health services

• RESTORE: delivered through the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and World Vision, the funding will strengthen early warning systems, support temporary relocation, flood protection measures and cash assistance in vulnerable communities

• in 2023, El Niño-related flooding affected approximately 2.48 million people and displaced 1.2 million people across Somalia

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