"The country is in the midst of a disaster, as devastating rains and floods are spreading," Xinhua reported citing the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs on Friday.
Most people affected by torrential rains and flash and riverine floods are in the states of South West, Galmudug, Puntland, Hirshabelle, and Jubaland, as well as Banadir region, it said.
The UN humanitarian agency said the devastation comes as millions of Somalis continue to battle hunger and malnutrition, with an estimated 1.5 million children under five facing acute malnutrition between August of this year and July 2024.
The agency said that despite massive needs, the 2023 Somalia Humanitarian Response Plan, seeking more than 2.6 billion US dollars to meet the priority needs of 7.6 million people, is only 42 percent funded, at 1 billion dollars.
"Aid organizations cannot meet current and new needs without additional resources," it said.
AMK/PR