Over 1.9 mln People at Risk of Flooding Across Ethiopia: UN

ADDIS ABABA, Xinhua: The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) warned on Friday that over 1.9 million people across Ethiopia are at risk of flooding as the rainy season begins.

In Ethiopia’s Somali region, the most flood-prone region in the East African country, over 1.2 million people are expected to be affected by floods, with 773,000 facing displacement across the region, according to the latest Ethiopia humanitarian situation update issued by UNOCHA on Friday.

UNOCHA also warned about the impact of flooding in Oromia, Afar, Amhara, Tigray and Southern regions, where an estimated 700,000 people are expected to be affected by flooding incidents. Some areas are already reporting the impact of heavy rainfall and flooding, and the Ethiopian government and partners are monitoring the flood situation during Ethiopia’s rainy season, from March to May, to prepare and mobilize resources for any required response.

Flood preparedness and readiness plans are in place, including the identification of high flood-risk areas. However, a shortfall in funding and resources is preventing the prepositioning of supplies, and urgent scale-up in funding and resources is required for humanitarian partners to deploy life-saving assistance.