According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA), a total of 33 individuals have lost their lives as a result of floods in southeastern Ethiopia in the period from October up until now. The ongoing rains have caused devastating damage to health, transportation, educational facilities and livelihoods, impacting at least 763,100 people across various regions in the country.
The UNOCHA has highlighted that the currently available resources and response capacity are insufficient to meet the scale of demands for life-saving assistance in the flood-affected areas, and has called for urgent mobilization of resources and a scaled-up response to the situation. The organization also noted that as of now, only 8 percent of the 611,000 affected individuals in the Somali region have been reached due to the inaccessibility caused by damaged roads and bridges.
The flood has caused extensive damage to public facilities including schools, health clinics, community centers, and water infrastructure in the Somali region. Urgent needs in the affected areas include evacuation operations, emergency shelter, food, healthcare, water, and protection services, as well as water, sanitation, and hygiene response. Additionally, the UNOCHA has raised concern over the upcoming rainfall season, which typically accounts for a significant portion of the annual total rainfall in the region.
The organization has warned that there is a high probability of experiencing abnormally heavy rainfall conditions in southern Ethiopia, which has already led to flooding in areas that are prone to such natural disasters. The situation is dire, and the response at the current level is inadequate to address the needs of the affected population.
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