Floods and torrential rains have killed at least 31 people in various parts of Somalia, officials said on Sunday.

Information Minister Dawud Aweys told reporters in the capital Mogadishu that since October, flooding and floods have displaced nearly half a million people and disrupted the lives of more than 1.2 million people. He added that it caused severe damage to civilian infrastructure, especially in the Gedo region of southern Somalia.

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, which provided $25 million to mitigate the effects of the floods, warned in a statement on Thursday that a flood event of statistical magnitude would occur only once in 100 years. The consequences of a major humanitarian disaster are expected.

While all possible preparedness measures continue, floods of this magnitude can only be mitigated, not prevented, suggesting early warning and early action to save lives amid widespread displacement, increasing humanitarian needs, and further displacement and destruction of property.

The lives of about 1.6 million people in Somalia could be disrupted by floods and monsoons, which will continue until December, potentially destroying 1.5 million hectares of agricultural land.

Mogadishu was hit by heavy rains, which at times swept away vulnerable people, including children and the elderly, and disrupted traffic.