Ethiopian Informer
ADDIS ABABA: October 29 (EI) – The European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO) has urged over possible flash floods and landslide in Ethiopia and its neighboring countries amid predicted heavy rains in the coming months.
“A strong positive Indian Ocean Dipole weather phenomenon, whereby warm sea surface temperatures in the western Indian Ocean result in increased rainfall across Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia, is already leading to heavy rainfall, flash floods and landslides, causing loss of life, displacement, and damage to property and livelihoods,” European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO) said in a statement issued over the weekend.
ECHO, which predicted that the situation to intensify through November and December, also stressed that flooding has affected several regions in the East African country since early October.
“In Ethiopia, since early October, flooding has affected several regions, displacing over 200,000 people. Somali region is the most affected with over 120,000 people displaced,” ECHO said.
Ethiopia’s National Meteorology Agency recently forecasted that above-normal rainfall will continue to prevail across south and south-western Ethiopia, eventually increasing the risk of flash floods in the stated parts of the country.
Amid heavy rains in the East African country, a landslide incident that was induced by heavy rains had last week killed at least 18 people in Ethiopia’s Southern regional state.
Meanwhile, the European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations also revealed that heavy rains and swollen rivers from rainfall in the Ethiopian highlands have caused localized flooding in Ethiopia’s neighboring country Somalia, mainly along the Shabelle River and further downstream and all along the Juba River.
OCHA estimated that 40 percent of Somalia’s Bellet Weyne town has already been affected, with about 72,000 people displaced.
While in Kenya, heavy rain has affected large areas over the last week, causing flash flooding and landslides. The northern and north-eastern counties are most affected, in which at least 21 people have died, thousands have been displaced, and houses, roads and other infrastructure have been damaged as of October 24.
The Kenya Meteorological Department had also recently warned of continued, countrywide heavy rain and strong winds over the coming days. Further severe flooding is predicted, particularly along Kenya’s longest Tana River.
