Ethiopia landslides: Death toll rises as UN supports response

More than 250 people are reported to have been killed, amid fears that the toll could rise to over 500, the UN Office for the Coordination for Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said in a flash update on the disaster, issued on Thursday.

Gezei Gofa Woreda, in southern Ethiopia, suffered three successive landslides following heavy rains on 21 and 22 July. More than 15,500 people are said to be affected, including at least 1,320 children under five and 5,293 pregnant and nursing mothers.  

“These people are at high risk of further landslides and need to be evacuated to safe zones immediately. The Federal Government, in collaboration with regional and zonal authorities is finalizing an evacuation plan,” the update noted.

Search and rescue efforts, led by local authorities and supported by the Ethiopian Red Cross Society and community members, are also ongoing.

“[They are] mainly digging through mounds of mud with their bare hands and spades for lack of other options,” the update added.

UN chief ‘deeply saddened’

In a statement, Stéphane Dujarric, the Spokesman for the Secretary-General, said that the UN chief was deeply saddened by the loss of lives and expressed his condolences to the families of the victims and to the people and Government of Ethiopia.

“The United Nations and its partners are working closely with the Government, evaluating the humanitarian situation to determine the extent of the damage and assess the humanitarian needs of the affected population,” the statement noted.

“UN agencies are dispatching food, nutrition, health and other critical supplies to help people affected by the landslides,” it added.

UN response

OCHA further reported UN agencies and humanitarian partners have dispatched initial relief supplies for immediate needs.  

The UN World Food Programme (WFP) will further dispatch on Friday additional food supplies, including cereals, pulses and vegetable oil, to cover the needs of 14,500 people for two months.

Similarly, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has dispatched water and sanitation supplies, including 17,000 laundry soaps, 96,000 strips of water treatment chemicals, 1,000 plastic sheets, 17,000 jerry cans, and five emergency medical kits. 

The UN International Organization for Migration (IOM) has also readied additional supplies of these items for dispatch.

The UN World Health Organization (WHO) has dispatched health supplies, including trauma and emergency health kits and medical supplies for cholera, measles and severe malnutrition.