Nine killed in Somalia by cyclone Gati

02 Décembre 2020

Mogadishu, Somalia, December 2 (Infosplusgabon) - At least nine people were killed during the tropical cyclone Gati which made landfall in Puntland’s Bari region on 22 November, the UN Office for Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said on Monday.

The cyclone has lost momentum, after leaving behind a trail of destruction, the UN relief officials said.

Puntland authorities estimate that the cyclone affected an estimated 180,000 people in Bari region mostly in Bossaso, Xaafuun, Hurdiya and Iskushuban districts.

Those affected included farmers, fishermen, traders, and other rural inhabitants.

Rapid assessments in parts of Bari region are ongoing, OCHA said.

Preliminary estimates from the assessment in Bossaso indicate that heavy rains that lasted more than 24 hours in the town on 23 November affected over 38,000 people.

Many of those affected in Bossaso are in need of food, emergency shelter and non-food items (NFIs), water, sanitation and hygiene, health services, and protection monitoring.

Cyclone Gati has reportedly killed nine people and destroyed almost 4,000 properties belonging to nomadic communities, according to the UN humanitarian assessment.

It also destroyed property numbering 886, more than 75 per cent of all privately-owned property in Xaafuun, Dardaare, Hurdiye and Karduush.

According to the initial survey, schools, health facilities, water points and government offices and about 80 per cent residential houses were destroyed or damaged. Emergency shelter is among the urgent needs.

The destruction count is expected to be higher following completion of impact assessment of surrounding villages.

FIN/ INFOSPLUSGABON/ADR/GABON2020

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