ENVIRONMENT AND DISASTERS

BELEDWEYNE — The Ugas Khalifa Airport in Beledweyne town was temporarily closed on Friday due to the El Niño heavy rains that occurred in the town on Thursday night, according to officials. Hirshabelle State aviation authorities reported that the rains from the previous night led to water accumulation on the …

MOGADISHU — The International Organization for Migration (IOM) said it is ready to support Somalia in tackling floods ahead of a rare “super El Nino” in the country. “IOM Somalia is currently deploying teams in the field and is getting ready to provide emergency assistance across the country and start …

MOGADISHU — Somali youth have launched a campaign against the littering of plastic waste on the beaches of the capital, Mogadishu, infusing vitality into marine ecosystems that support livelihoods. This initiative for environmental protection began at Mogadishu’s Liido beach in the Abdiaziz district two years ago. It started with only …

MOGADISHU — The Somali Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre has affirmed that the federal government has prepared a response plan to the anticipated El Niño, which is likely to bring heavy rainfall during the rainy season between October and December in Somalia. During his visit to the Somali Disaster Management …

MOGADISHU — The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations said on Friday that it requires 11.8 million U.S. dollars to ramp up mitigation measures, including mapping out flood-prone areas, ahead of a rare “super El Nino” in Somalia. Etienne Peterschmitt, FAO’s representative to Somalia, said funds will …

MOGADISHU — El Nino is likely to displace 651,000 children 5-17 years of age, of whom 225,000 are in school in the affected districts, according to projections from the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). The UNICEF said the impact of the floods on the education sector will include the displacement …

BELEDWEYNE — The People in the Hiiraan region say that there is a brewing fear that the Shabelle River may flood the riverine areas after reaching its baneful height. If this happens, it could affect the local population, mainly those living in the riverine areas. The administrator of the Fiidow area …

MOGADISHU — The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations said Monday its Somalia Water and Land Information Management (SWALIM) Unit is ramping up mitigation measures, including mapping out flood-prone areas ahead of the expected El Nino rains. The FAO said its SWALIM has finalized the analysis and …

JOWHAR — A massive fire erupted at a bustling market in Jowhar town, the interim capital of the Hirshabelle regional state. The blaze, which originated in a bakery located in the heart of the Hantiwadag neighborhood, quickly spread throughout the market, engulfing numerous businesses and sending billowing clouds of smoke …

NAIROBI — The Horn of Africa will experience higher than normal temperatures between October to December, a period when the region is also expected to have El Nino rains that would lead to heavy flooding, the East African bloc climate service warned Wednesday. The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) Climate …