World Tour: Floods in Somalia

NICK EICHER, HOST: Coming up next on The World and Everything in It: WORLD Tour with our reporter in Africa, Onize Ohikere.

AUDIO: [Floodwaters rushing]

ONIZE OHIKERE, REPORTER: Somalia flooding — We start today in Somalia, where residents are using tractors and loaded donkeys to get their belongings out of flooded areas.

The Somali government says torrential rainfall that began last month has killed at least 31 people and displaced nearly half a million others.

Somalia is experiencing heavy rainfall after coming out of one of its worst droughts in four decades. Forecasters expect heavy rainfall to continue into December.

Amina Adow is one of those affected by the flooding. She was already displaced twice this year by flash floods.

ADOW: (English voiceover) We relocated to higher ground here. As you can see, we don't have proper shelter, no food and even water as well as latrines.

The United Nations has called the flooding a once-in-a-century event as it released additional funding to help survivors.

Flooding is also affecting neighboring Kenya, where authorities have reported at least 50 deaths.

AUDIO: [Chanting “Palestine will be free”]

Palestine, Israel support marches — In South Africa, thousands of chanting demonstrators waving Palestinian flags marched across Cape Town on Saturday.

SOUND: [Clashes]

Police later fired stun grenades and water cannons to quell violence between pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian protesters.

Marcelo Dan is an Israeli in Cape Town.

DAN: It’s not free Palestine, it’s free Gaza from Hamas. They are the ones doing this.

AUDIO: [Protesters chanting]

Over in Brussels, tens of thousands of people called for a ceasefire and accused the European Union of not doing enough to push for peace.

Meanwhile in Paris, more than one hundred thousand people marched in support of Jews amid rising anti-semitism.

AUDIO: [Chanting protesters]

Honduras protests — Over in Honduras, thousands of anti-government protesters are accusing President Xiomara Castro of hand-picking public officials unconstitutionally.

The ruling party this month elected a new interim chief prosecutor without a congressional vote.

PROTESTER: [Speaking Spanish]

This protester says government officials will turn the country into Nicaragua or Venezuela if people fail to defend democracy.

The U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee condemned the apparent attempt to consolidate power.

SOUND: [Fireworks]

India Diwali Festival — Finally, fireworks lit up the night sky across India on Sunday, as Hindus celebrated the annual Diwali festival of lights.

Participants took part in processions and prayers and exchanged gifts. The celebrations also include lighting oil lamps and setting off fireworks.

But by Monday, thick smog clouded the sky across several cities.

MUMBAI RESIDENT: [Speaking Hindi]

This Mumbai resident says the air is so polluted that it makes movement difficult. New Delhi took the top spot as the most polluted city, according to the Swiss group IQAir. Two other Indian cities - Mumbai and Kolkata - appeared among the top 10.

Before we close, a correction from last week.

While reporting on the abduction of the father of Colombian soccer player Luis Diaz, I mentioned he sat out a soccer match against Nottingham Forest. He did, in fact, play in the game and also in another match against Luton Town. And some good news - rebels with the National Liberation Army guerilla group released his father last Thursday.

That’s it for today’s WORLD Tour. Reporting for WORLD, I’m Onize Ohikere in Abuja, Nigeria.

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