May 16. (EUROPE PRESS) –
At least 45 people have died and thousands have been displaced due to flooding in various regions of Ethiopia, according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), which has pointed to “widespread destruction in the affected areas.
“The floods have caused widespread destruction and displacement in the Somali, Oromia, Southern, Southwestern and Afar Nations, Nationalities and Peoples regions,” he said, before stressing that the floods have displaced more than 35,000 families.
They have also highlighted that the death of more than 23,000 head of cattle has also been confirmed, while more than 99,000 hectares of farmland have been destroyed in the Somali region alone.
“The Government of Ethiopia and humanitarian partners are providing vital aid to affected communities, but the assistance remains inadequate, taking into account the scale of the needs,” he said, before announcing that he will deliver 40 million dollars (close to €36.8 million) to address the needs of people affected by drought and floods.
In this sense, OCHA has emphasized that the floods are “exacerbating humanitarian needs” in the affected areas and added that “the floods have deepened the vulnerability of populations, whose resilience has been seriously affected by the impact of the prolonged drought since 2020”.
The agency has also stressed that “the floods have also exacerbated health risks, including cholera”, which has left more than 6,150 cases and close to a hundred deaths between August 27, 2022, when the outbreak began, and on August 7, 2022. May, making it the “longest cholera outbreak” in the country’s history.
“While the 2023 Belg rains, between February and April, have improved dry conditions in terms of agricultural activities and the availability of water supply for humans and livestock, as well as pasture, have caused loss of life and livelihood , destruction of homes, schools, health facilities and thousands of farms have been razed,” he concluded.
