Ethiopian Informer
ADDIS ABABA: Flash floods reportedly killed more than 80 people have died due to recent flooding incidents in parts of Ethiopia, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has said.
More than 35,000 households are displaced, 45 human lives lost, over 23,000 livestock perished, and more than 99,000 hectares of farmland destroyed in Somali Region alone, OCHA said in its Ethiopia — floods flash update as of May 12 that was released on Monday.
In Oromia, the flooding has displaced more than 5,803 households (29,015 individuals) and reportedly killed eight people. Countless hectares of crops were damaged and key infrastructure of roads, bridges, schools, WASH facilities and crops damaged or destroyed, OCHA said.
Similarly, in Southern Nations Nationalities and Peoples’ (SNNP) region, 38 human deaths were reported. Deaths of livestock were reported in Hamer district, due to flash floods, the UN agency said.
OCHA said recent and unusual flooding has caused widespread destruction and displacement exacerbating humanitarian needs across Somali, Oromia, SNNP, South West Ethiopia Peoples’ and Afar regions.
It said the flooding has deepened the vulnerability of populations whose resilience is already highly affected by the impact of a prolonged drought since 2020 as the areas most affected by flooding and drought overlap.
The floods have also exacerbated health risks, including cholera.
(File Photo) Excessive rainfall leading to flooding, displacement and loss of lives and livelihoods in Ethiopia. Credit: OCHA Ethiopia
