Commission Supporting 128,000 People Displaced Due to Flooding

Addis Ababa, August 21/2020(ENA) The National Disaster Risk Management Commission (NDRMC) said that it is providing emergency aid to 128,000 people displaced due to flooding during this rainy season. 

According to reports, as per this 'Kiremt' rainy season (June – September) weather forecast by the National Meteorological Agency, all kiremt rain receiving areas are getting normal to above normal rainfall.

The heavy rainfall and discharge of filled dams in some areas, have caused flooding and landslides, displacing people in several parts of the country.

Early Warning and Response Team Leader at the Commission, Negeye Hailu told ENA that the flood that occurred over the past two months has affected some 164,000 people in Afar, Amhara, Gambella, Somali, Oromia and Southern Nations Nationalities and Peoples’ (SNNPR) Regional States.  

“Currently we have more than 164, 000 people affected, with 128,000 displaced from their homes due to the unprecedented flooding in the rainy season that started in June,” Negeye said.

According to him, the Commission in partnership with other local and international organizations has provided food and non-food emergency aids to 128,000 displaced communities in the stated regions.

Since the risks of flooding is still high till the rainy season ends, every disaster mitigation effort will further be continued alongside with the humanitarian interventions being underway, the team leader elaborated.  

Negeye stated that early warnings and preparedness measures taken earlier have helped the nation to reduce the magnitude of the disaster risks due to flooding.

A National Task-Force was established by the commission that included United Nation Agencies, government institutions and other international NGOs, aimed at intensifying collaborative efforts to mitigate the human and economic loss of the flood, Negeye said.   

Accordingly, after the metrological forecasts, communities at risks of flooding were relocated from their domiciles that helped to minimize the expected risks, he added.

The task-force had also formed various clusters in key sectors such as health, sanitation, nutrition, food and non-food items, so as to facilitate supports that might be needed to the flood affected communities.   

Heavy rainfall is expected over the coming days in most parts of western Ethiopia that might result in floods and wind storms, according to IGAD’s Climate Prediction and Applications Centre (ICPAC) weather forecast alert issued on last Tuesday.