The mountainous zone of Gofa has been affected by heavy rainfall, which caused a landslide on Sunday night, followed by another one on Monday morning, trapping people who were helping the victims from the previous landslide.
According to Ethiopia’s National Disaster Risk Management Commission, the death toll was 299 by Tuesday and is expected to reach 500. An update from the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs on Thursday indicated that the death toll has risen to more than 250 people and at least 125 individuals were displaced, and 12 were injured. More than 15,000 people were reported to be in urgent need of evacuation due to the potential for additional landslides.
Rescue missions were in progress, as evidenced by the photographs posted on Facebook by Gofa authorities, which depicted individuals excavating through the dirt with their bare hands.
According to a survivor, Tseganesh Obole, she and her six children were enveloped by the dirt as it rushed down an incline. She stated, “I was engulfed by a mudslide, along with many others, including my children.”
Her brother Dawit was able to claw through the dirt to extricate her. Her spouse was still missing and was believed to be interred in the dirt.
The landslide occurred in the remote region of Gofa in the South Ethiopia regional state following heavy seasonal rainfall between April and May, which had already resulted in flooding, infrastructure damage, and the displacement of over 1,000 people.
António Guterres, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, conveyed his sympathies regarding the catastrophe. His spokesperson, Stéphane Dujarric, expressed that Guterres was “deeply saddened” by the incident. “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,” according to Dujarric.
Ethiopia is highly susceptible to climate-related catastrophes, including floods and droughts. The south and east of the country experienced exceptionally heavy rainfall in November of last year, resulting in the displacement of hundreds of thousands and the deaths of dozens of individuals.
