Flood, which was caused by heavy down pour and over flow of the Awash River, displaced more than 40,000 people in Afar regional state of Ethiopia, reports said on Tuesday.
The region’s disaster prevention and food security coordinating committee on Monday said the flood was sever in the region’s Asayita, Afambo, Dubti and Mile districts.
The federal government has airlifted vulnerable people using a helicopter. Not quite a lot of survivors were airlifted as the carrying capacity of the helicopter was limited to 15, eyewitnesses told APA.
The region’s Disaster Prevention and Food Security Bureau head Mohammed Hussien said the bureau has so far relocated 400 people from Gelealo and Karbuda districts to schools in Asayita town.
Mohammed attributed the flood to the release of huge amount of water from Koka, Tendaho, Beseka and Kesem dams that are located in the upper streams.
“What happened is a sudden flood occurred here in Asayita and the water covered the whole area and houses and cattle all have submerged,” the eyewitnesses said
No human causality is reported yet but the flood has washed away thousands of cattle chiefly goats.
Flood occurs in the regional state due to two major reasons. One is the overflow of the Awash River which crosses quite lots of towns and the second when heavy rain occurs in the region.
Early Warning and Emergency Response Director, Aydahis Yasin said the over flooding occurred in six districts of the regional state, following the heavy rainfall this rainy season.
Out of the over 40,000 displaced persons, 17,450 lived in the five localities of Asayta district. The government has been providing relief for over 1,100 in two locality of same district.
MG/abj/APA