According to the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), the greatest needs of those displaced include food, shelter, kitchen utensils, blankets, drinking water and hygiene services.
Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia report that the main impact is due to the persistent rains that have hit the region following the longest and worst drought on record, affecting millions of people.
In Somalia alone, more than 795,000 displacements of a population previously forced to flee conflict and drought were recorded.
“Homes have been severely damaged or destroyed and in some places people are seeking shelter under trees on higher ground. There are also tragic reports of drownings,” said UNHCR spokesman William Spindler from Geneva.
Local authorities estimate that more than half a million people were affected by the floods in the Somali region of Ethiopia and 20 people died.
40,000 families are now on the run, including those seeking protection from the ongoing conflict in neighboring Somalia.
At least 25,000 people in the Dadaab refugee camps in northeastern Kenya have been injured, and many of them are seeking refuge in schools in the complex or in surrounding communities.
Some are also welcoming the newly displaced into their homes, leading to overcrowding.
“Flooded roads hinder the movement of people and make it difficult for vulnerable people to access services, including access to hospitals for pregnant women,” Spindler said.
In some areas of southern Ethiopia, more than 65 percent of the land is now under water, almost a thousand cattle have died and in Somalia another thousand hectares of crops have been washed away.
Damage to agriculture and livestock increases the risk of worsening an already dire food situation, the UNHCR spokesman added.
In response, the agency is distributing relief supplies to newly displaced families, including dignity kits for women and girls.
Households are also receiving financial support to purchase building materials to repair or reinforce shelters, and sandbags have been provided to protect people from flooding.
ro/ebr