Ethiopia faces flash flood devastation with worse to come
-20/08/06
Flash floods burst
Ethiopia faces flash flood devastation with worse to come
-20/08/06
Flash floods bursting the banks of two of Ethiopiaís largest rivers have resulted in the deaths of more than 400 people as a result of heavy rains, say development and church agencies working in the area.
In the Omo delta, in the south, the flooding has created islands. Thousands are stranded on these islands and are awaiting urgent rescue. With little shelter or food they are exposed to the terrible weather conditions and are vulnerable to attack from crocodiles.
At least 30,000 people are in need of emergency help and there are fears that the death toll could rise as the worsening weather hampers efforts to reach the people affected.
Thousands of people live along the banks of the Awash River, in the east, and the Omo River, in the south. The rains have washed away their homes and everything they own.
Many of the people affected are pastoralists; people whose livelihoods depend on their livestock. Initial assessments from the area report that more than 3,000 cattle have also been washed away in the floods.
The Ethiopian army is trying to reach those affected in order to assist and rescue them but their progress has been slow so far.
ìThe floods are happening downstream,î explains Abiy Hailu, Ethiopia representative of the UK-based agency Christian Aid, who has observed what has been going on first-hand.
He adds: ìThese areas are generally remote and the infrastructure is poorly developed. The current situation is very different from what we are used to in Ethiopia. We are used to dealing with drought ñ the problem of floods is new.î
Development and church organisations are working with local groups in the area to assess the situation and is planning to organise the provision of emergency relief items such as plastic sheeting, cooking utensils, mosquito nets and high protein food to the people displaced by the floods.
Yet things are set to get much worse. There are several large dams along the Awash River and as the heavy rains are forecast to continue, there are fears that the overflow may require the release of the dams to avoid their collapse.
Their release would flood the communities of more than 50,000 people. These people have been advised to evacuate their villages and move to higher land, but they also need relief supplies and shelter.
[Also on Ekklesia: Ethiopian religion reporting imperilled, says World Press Freedom Day; Violence breaks out at Ethiopian Orthodox Epiphany celebrations; Ethiopian Mennonite leader delves into politics; Somalia must not be dominated by religious groups, says ecumenist; Campaigners challenge Band Aid lyrics; Aid agency launches emergency appeal for East Africa; Church leaders appeal to Blair’s Africa Commission; Beyond Our Prayers: An Amazing Half Century of Church Growth in Ethiopia (book)]
Ethiopia faces flash flood devastation with worse to come
-20/08/06
Flash floods bursting the banks of two of Ethiopiaís largest rivers have resulted in the deaths of more than 400 people as a result of heavy rains, say development and church agencies working in the area.
In the Omo delta, in the south, the flooding has created islands. Thousands are stranded on these islands and are awaiting urgent rescue. With little shelter or food they are exposed to the terrible weather conditions and are vulnerable to attack from crocodiles.
At least 30,000 people are in need of emergency help and there are fears that the death toll could rise as the worsening weather hampers efforts to reach the people affected.
Thousands of people live along the banks of the Awash River, in the east, and the Omo River, in the south. The rains have washed away their homes and everything they own.
Many of the people affected are pastoralists; people whose livelihoods depend on their livestock. Initial assessments from the area report that more than 3,000 cattle have also been washed away in the floods.
The Ethiopian army is trying to reach those affected in order to assist and rescue them but their progress has been slow so far.
ìThe floods are happening downstream,î explains Abiy Hailu, Ethiopia representative of the UK-based agency Christian Aid, who has observed what has been going on first-hand.
He adds: ìThese areas are generally remote and the infrastructure is poorly developed. The current situation is very different from what we are used to in Ethiopia. We are used to dealing with drought ñ the problem of floods is new.î
Development and church organisations are working with local groups in the area to assess the situation and is planning to organise the provision of emergency relief items such as plastic sheeting, cooking utensils, mosquito nets and high protein food to the people displaced by the floods.
Yet things are set to get much worse. There are several large dams along the Awash River and as the heavy rains are forecast to continue, there are fears that the overflow may require the release of the dams to avoid their collapse.
Their release would flood the communities of more than 50,000 people. These people have been advised to evacuate their villages and move to higher land, but they also need relief supplies and shelter.
[Also on Ekklesia: Ethiopian religion reporting imperilled, says World Press Freedom Day; Violence breaks out at Ethiopian Orthodox Epiphany celebrations; Ethiopian Mennonite leader delves into politics; Somalia must not be dominated by religious groups, says ecumenist; Campaigners challenge Band Aid lyrics; Aid agency launches emergency appeal for East Africa; Church leaders appeal to Blair’s Africa Commission; Beyond Our Prayers: An Amazing Half Century of Church Growth in Ethiopia (book)]