Somalia Expresses Solidarity after Ethiopia’s Deadly Landslide Disaster

GOOBJOOG NEWS | MOGADISHU: The federal government of Somalia has extended its condolences to neighbouring Ethiopia following a deadly landslide in the country’s Amhara region that killed at least 14 people and left others injured, as rescue teams continued searching for possible survivors beneath mud and debris.

In a statement, the federal government conveyed its “deepest condolences and sincere sympathies” to the Ethiopian government and people, expressing solidarity with families who lost loved ones and wishing those injured a swift recovery.

“Somalia stands in solidarity with Ethiopia during this difficult time,” the statement said, while commending emergency responders engaged in search and rescue operations.

The landslide struck the Tsadqane Debre Mitmaq St. Mary Monastery in Ethiopia’s Amhara region after heavy rainfall triggered a collapse of earth and rocks during a religious gathering attended by hundreds of worshippers. Authorities said at least 14 people were killed and seven injured, with rescue efforts continuing amid fears that more victims could be trapped beneath the debris.

The tragedy is the latest in a series of weather-related disasters to hit Ethiopia during the annual Kiremt rainy season. Earlier this year, deadly landslides in the country’s southern regions claimed more than 100 lives and displaced thousands, prompting emergency responses by the Ethiopian government, the United Nations and humanitarian agencies.

Climate experts say countries across the Horn of Africa are experiencing increasingly frequent extreme weather events, including intense rainfall, flooding and landslides, highlighting the region’s growing vulnerability to climate change. The disasters have placed additional pressure on governments already grappling with humanitarian needs, conflict and economic challenges.

Somalia and Ethiopia share deep economic and security ties despite periodic diplomatic tensions. The two neighbours cooperate on regional security, trade and efforts to address cross-border humanitarian and climate-related challenges, making expressions of solidarity during natural disasters an important feature of bilateral relations.