DUBAI: The UAE has sent a plane carrying vital assistance to southern Ethiopia in the wake of landslides that killed at least 257 people.
“The UAE relief endeavours aim to provide urgent assistance to those impacted by the natural disaster,” state-run WAM news agency has said.
UAE Minister of State for International Cooperation, Reem bint Ebrahim Al Hashimy, said that these contributions underscored the country’s commitment to support affected communities across the world.
The landslides after heavy rainfall in the African state caused loss of life and severe damage to property.
The United Nations said the death toll from the landslides has soared to 257 and has warned that the number of victims is expected to rise to 500.
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The landslide that hit Ethiopia is the deadliest on record in the country, reports said.
The UN’s humanitarian agency OCHA stated that over 15,000 affected people need to be evacuated from the region. It said that efforts should be made to evacuate 1,320 children and 5,293 pregnant women and new mothers from the affected area.
South Ethiopia has been battered by the seasonal rains between April and early May that have caused mass displacement and flooding, the OCHA said.
