Attachments
Description of the Event
Date of event
14-05-2024
What happened, where and when?
The ‘Kiremt" rains caused massive floods in several districts across the country between April and May leaving more than 590,000 people affected.
The worst situation was reported on 14th May 2024, where the heavy downpours caused rising river levels and widespread flooding in many areas. The high impact was felt in 9 woredas of East and West Guji zones of Oromia region; some areas of Sidama, Central Ethiopia and Southwest of Ethiopia. The ERCS branch assessment in Guji reported more than 181,548 people were severely affected, 102,128 people displaced and 5 lives lost in the 9 assessed woredas. About 3,000 houses reported either totally or partially destroyed and 14,553 ha of farming land swept off. The floods also worsened the food security situation in the areas which were recovering from longer drought. The floods also happened amidst cholera and malaria outbreaks.
Scope and Scale
The unusual heavy wind during the March-May rainy season led to massive flooding which caused significant displacement, damage to houses, public infrastructure, and croplands. The destruction and displacement exacerbated humanitarian needs across Afar, Amhara, Central Ethiopia, Oromia, Sidama, Somali, South Ethiopia, and Tigray regions.
The overall floods impact and figures according to the joint assessment engaged partners and Ethiopian Disaster Risk Management Commission (EDRMC) revealed:
- Nationwide, over 590,000 people were affected by floods between April and mid-May. More than 14 people were killed.
- East and west Guji were most affected with more than 181,000 people rendered vulnerable due to the flash floods and hundred thousand displaced, 109,000 were already identified as displaced, and 5 dead. Guji zones accounted for more than 30% of the affected population.
The EDRMC confirmed loss of thousands of livestock and 13,779 hectares of agricultural productions which were on maturity stage and were damaged, and several villages were disconnected. Additionally, the West Guji zone DRM office reported 9 districts (woredas) and 94 kebeles were highly impacted and the crucial infrastructure damaged, involving health institutions (7), schools (54), water schemes (14) and 3,024 domestic houses, forcing many households to be homeless.
The flooding heightened disease outbreaks. The PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY OPERATIONS CENTER (PHEOC), billeting no. 69, highlighted increasing case for Guji, and the immediate measures taken, IREC being among the partners contributing to the cholera response through the DREF support.
The damaged water sources, displacement and inaccessibility to essential humanitarian services were among the major causes. Zonal authorities raised concern over low sanitation coverage, increased open defection as commonly practice, as major contributing factors cholera outbreak in the woredas and Malaria in Gelana and Abaya woredas (West Guji). The most impacted most vulnerable displaced communities who were hosted by communities, in isolated camp those sheltered under trees, majority being women, children and elderly people.
The flooding has deepened the vulnerability of populations whose resilience were highly affected by the impact of a prolonged drought since 2020 as the areas were most affected by flooding and drought overlap. The flash flood impacted farm produce of which communities were expecting after the 4 years of drought.
In this light, a total of 62,775 individuals have been targeted for assistance in five woredas of the Oromia region. This includes 20,000 people in Adola Rede woreda of the Guji zone and 10,693 people in each of the four woredas in West Guji-Bule Hora, Gelana, Suro Berguda, and Abeya.