[UPDATE] Landslides Kill Hundreds in Ethiopia, a Growing Climate Threat

Image Source: Footage from a video released by the local government shows people standing at the bottom of a landslide that occurred in the Geze district in Ethiopia.Credit…Gofa Zone Government Communication, via Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

Published by Everything ZA News

At least 229 people have perished in Ethiopia’s Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples’ Region (SNNPR) after a series of deadly landslides struck the Gofa zone. Rescue efforts are ongoing, but officials fear the toll will continue to climb.

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia – A devastating double landslide in southwestern Ethiopia has killed at least 229 people, with officials warning that the death toll is likely to rise. The disaster struck a rural village on Monday, burying homes and residents under tons of mud. As neighbors rushed to the scene to help with rescue efforts, a second landslide engulfed them, compounding the tragedy.

The region has been experiencing heavy rains in recent days, saturating the ground and creating conditions ripe for landslides. The remote location of the affected village has hampered rescue efforts, with villagers and emergency workers relying on shovels and their bare hands to dig through the mud.

The disaster highlights the growing vulnerability of East Africa to the effects of climate change. Experts say the region is experiencing more frequent and intense extreme weather events, including droughts followed by heavy rains. The landslides in Ethiopia are a stark reminder of the human cost of this climate crisis.

“This combination, along with rising temperatures, is making the region’s weather more volatile,” said Andrew Kruczkiewicz, a climate scientist at the Red Cross Red Crescent’s Climate Center. “Emerging data is also beginning to show that floods are beginning to follow droughts in closer proximity, and with less time in between.”

The Ethiopian government has deployed a disaster response team to the area, but the scale of the tragedy is overwhelming. With many families losing loved ones and homes, the road to recovery will be long and arduous.