MOGADISHU, Nov 10 (Reuters) - The United Nations has described floods that uprooted hundreds of thousands of people in Somalia and neighbouring countries in East Africa following a historic drought as a once-in-a-century event.
Large-scale displacement, increased humanitarian needs and further destruction of property remain likely, OCHA said, with some 1.5 million hectares (3.70 million acres)of farmland potentially being destroyed.
"Extreme weather linked to the ongoing El Niño risks further driving up humanitarian needs in already-vulnerable communities in Somalia and many other places," said Martin Griffiths, Under-Secretary-General, the UN's Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator.
"We know what the risks are, and we need to get ahead of these looming crises," he said.
Reporting by Abdi Sheikh in Mogadishu and Hereward Holland in Nairobi; Writing by Hereward Holland Editing by Tomasz JanowskiOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
Persons:
El Niño, Camps, OCHA, Martin Griffiths, Abdi Sheikh, Hereward, Hereward Holland, Tomasz Janowski
Organizations:
United Nations, UN Office, Humanitarian Affairs, UN's Humanitarian Affairs, Emergency, Thomson
Locations:
MOGADISHU, Somalia, East Africa, Kenya, Mogadishu, Hereward Holland, Nairobi