Attachments
DESCRIPTION OF THE EVENT
Heavy rains between 21 and 22 July triggered successive landslides in the remote mountainous Gezei Gofa Woreda of the Gofa Zone Southern Ethiopian Region, causing significant loss of life and devastation. The region’s topography and vulnerability to extreme weather make it prone to floods and landslides.
The landslide’s toll was staggering. As of 26 July, the situation in Gezei Gofa Woreda was reported to have left 236 confirmed dead and 13 rescued making it Ethiopia’s deadliest landslide. The deceased include 30 pregnant or lactating women and one child under the age of five, and it is feared that the death toll will continue to rise.
Search, rescue, and recovery efforts, supported by the Ethiopian Red Cross Society (ERCS) and community volunteers, are continuing despite resource constraints. The mountainous region makes it nearly impossible for heavy machinery to reach the area. Dozens of people have spent days digging and excavating manually, searching for the missing using their bare hands, shovels, and axes. The victims include health and agriculture workers who were living near the landslide.
Emergency operations are challenging due to the rugged terrain, continuing rains, and the risk of further landslides. Additional assessments are ongoing across the region in all high-risk areas to determine the risk magnitude based on topography and weather forecasts. The latest assessment estimates the total number of people directly affected (as of 25 July) at over 15,515 including 6,750 people in Koncho Gozji Kebele and 7,765 people in Koncho Wiza Kebele.
Local authorities reported that more than 6,000 of the most vulnerable individuals required immediate evacuation to safe spaces, though this number is expected to increase as the situation unfolds. Many of these people are at high risk of further landslides and urgently need to be relocated to safer areas. The federal government has worked closely with regional and zonal authorities to finalise plans for their evacuation to safer locations. This includes approximately 1,320 children under the age of five and 427 pregnant or lactating women.
The detailed assessments will report the magnitude of the damage to housing, social, and public infrastructure, and water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) services/facilities. The likelihood of increased risk of disease outbreaks is high due to damage and displacements. Significant shocks to incomegenerating activities are strongly expected, along with prolonged displacement. ERCS assessment teams observed many women and men in need of psychological support.
In addition to the impact from the landslides, on 18 July, six kebeles in Gurage Zone, Inor Ener Meger Woreda were hit by a windstorm, and according to rapid assessments by the ERCS, over 1,200 households were directly affected with homes and farmland damaged, and property damaged or destroyed.
Approximately 1,101 hectares of farmland were affected, including enset (false banana, the main food in the area), coffee plantations, chat, fruit, and vegetable crops.
In recent weeks, the southern regions have continued to experience heavy rainfall and flooding, further exacerbating the already severe humanitarian conditions.