Floods disrupt relief efforts in south-eastern Ethiopia

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, May 31, 2005 (PANA) — Floods have disrupted relief efforts in Ethiopia’s south-eastern Somali Region with continued population displacement while trucks loaded with relief items have been stuck on the sodden roads for nearly three weeks, a UN relief agency reported Monday.

Also, poor access and security issues were restricting the movement of a joint Government and UN assessment team that arrived in the region on 25 May, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said.

The team, which had gone to re-examine the damage and needs of flood affected areas in Gode, Jijiga, Kebridehar and Degehabur zones, is to recommend appropriate interventions after the exercise.

Meanwhile, there are reports of new flooding causing new displacements in an area stretching from Kelafo to Mustahil town, where original flood waters had receded and people were returning to their homes.

According to OCHA, recent flooding was also reported in Denan area of Gode zone while heavy rains have wreaked parts of Fik zone.

In its weekly briefing on relief operations, it said Genale and Dawa rivers in the western parts of Somali Region have overflowed their banks, interrupting communications within large parts of Afder and Liben zones.

The UN agency said that road inaccessibility has prevented food aid from reaching the flood-affected areas, with the exception of Dire Dawa, Denan in Gode zone and some locations in eastern Degehabour.

In addition, floods have hampered UNICEF’s relief convoys to reach Gode.

Since 11 May, UNICEF in collaboration with Ethiopia’s Disaster Prevention and Preparedness Commissions (DPPC) sent 17 trucks with relief items for flood affected populations, but seven of the trucks were until 29 May still stuck on the roads.

Until the access problems eased, OCHA said the World Food Programme (WFP) was making arrangements to provide funds through DPPC to transport 870 tons of maize currently in stock in Gode.

Reports from the Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples Region (SNNPR) said heavy rain has caused Sile and Sego rivers in Arba Minch district to burst their banks, displacing over 12,000 farmers in Gamo Gofa zone.

An unknown number of livestock have been killed and an extensive area of crop fields destroyed.

According to reports from district officials the affected population has received some food and non-food assistance.

But OCHA said concern has been raised about the possible outbreak of malaria and other epidemic diseases in the affected zone.