Ethiopia: Floods Flash Update, As of 12 May 2023

HIGHLIGHTS

• Floods have caused widespread destruction and displacement in Somali, Oromia, Southern Nations Nationalities & Peoples’, South West Ethiopia Peoples’ and Afar regions.

• More than 35,000 households are displaced, 45 human lives lost, over 23,000 livestock perished, and more than 99,000 hectares of farmland destroyed in Somali Region alone.

• The Government of Ethiopia and humanitarian partners are providing lifesaving assistance to affected communities, but assistance remains inadequate relative to the scale of needs.

• OCHA-managed funds - Ethiopia Humanitarian Fund and Central Emergency Relief Fund - are finalizing the allocation of US$40 million to address the needs of drought and flood affected people.

SITUATION OVERVIEW

Recent and unusual flooding has caused widespread destruction and displacement exacerbating humanitarian needs across Somali, Oromia, Southern Nations Nationalities & Peoples’ (SNNP), South West Ethiopia Peoples’ and Afar regions.

The flooding has deepened the vulnerability of populations whose resilience is already highly affected by the impact of a prolonged drought since 2020 as the areas most affected by flooding and drought overlap.

The floods have also exacerbated health risks, including cholera. At present, the cholera outbreak continues to be reported in, Oromia, Somali, Sidama and Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples’ regions. Between 27 August (when the outbreak begun) and 7 May, 58 woredas were affected across Oromia (30), SNNP (18), Somali (5) and Sidama (1) regions, with 6,157 cases and 94 deaths. This is the longest cholera outbreak that is spreading unabated. Measles outbreak in drought-affected areas and rising malaria cases in flood affected areas are additional health risks challenging the overstretched health response.

While the 2023 Belg rains (February – April) have improved the drought conditions in terms of agricultural activities, availability of water supply for humans and livestock, and pastures, it has also caused loss of life and livelihoods, destruction of homes, schools, health facilities, and thousands of farms with crops washed away, increased health risks, and contamination of water sources. The floods also disrupted children’s education as they are forced to stay out of school.