ADDIS ABABA: A series of landslides in northern Ethiopia have killed at least 23 people and displaced approximately 2,700 residents from their homes, regional authorities reported on Monday.
The landslides struck four districts within the North Gondar Zone of Amhara, a region already grappling with the effects of heavy rains and flooding.
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported that ongoing heavy rains have exacerbated conditions across Ethiopia, contributing to floods, landslides, and widespread destruction. The recent incidents in North Gondar have further highlighted the country’s vulnerability to climate-related disasters.
While the exact dates of the landslides were not specified, regional media reported on Saturday that one landslide alone had claimed the lives of 10 persons. The regional disaster prevention office confirmed the death toll of 23 and noted that eight people sustained injuries.
Ethiopia, which has a population of approximately 120 million, with about 75% living in rural areas, frequently experiences such climate-induced disasters. In July, a catastrophic mudslide in the remote Kencho Shacha Gozdi community in southern Ethiopia was one of the worst incidents in the nation’s recorded history, with the initial death toll reported by OCHA at 256. This number was later revised to 236.
Additionally, six people were killed in a landslide in the Sidama regional state shortly after, and another landslide earlier this month in the Wolaita administrative zone resulted in 11 deaths.
The “long” rains season, which began in June and is expected to continue until September, has been marked by increased severity in weather-related disasters.
