Flooding displaces 188,000 people in eastern Ethiopia

By Xinhua

Flooding in Ethiopia’s eastern Somali regional state has displaced 188,000 people, the UN said on Wednesday.

In a press statement, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA), said the displacement was caused by a combination of tropical cyclone Sagar and floods from Shabelle river over the last two weeks.

“The flooding has also resulted in an increased incidence of malnutrition and diarrhea among children under five among the displaced,” UNOCHA added.

On Monday, UN said at least 16 people were killed after tropical cyclone Sagar caused heavy rains and flooding in northern Somalia.

Tropical storm Sagar made landfall on Ethiopia on Sunday, after causing extensive damage in neighboring Somalia and Djibouti.

UNOCHA said the Ethiopia Somalia regional state authorities have disseminated information to the community using local media, with ambulances and police forces on standby to help with rehabilitating the displaced.

The UN, Ethiopia federal government agencies and Somali region authorities have been dispatching emergency aid including food, medicine, drugs and sanitary materials to the displaced people.