Emergency Relief Airlift to Flood Victims in Ethiopia

November 10, 2006
No. 41/06

Addis Ababa (U.S. Embassy) -- In response to deadly flash-flooding in southeastern Ethiopia, the International Rescue Committee (IRC) with assistance from the Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA) and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is airlifting essential supplies to flood-affected communities in the east of Ethiopia.

Tomorrow IRC will send by U.S. military aircraft 18 metric tones of essential supplies such as cooking pots, soap, and blankets to Gode, located approximated 650 kilometers south-east of the capital Addis Ababa.   

“Gode zone is completely cut off by road to the outside world because of the flooding,” said IRC Country Director David Murphy.  “We hear reports that there are trucks loaded with emergency relief supplies stranded in nearby areas and unable to get through. We’re just lucky to be able to airlift our emergency relief with help from the U.S. military and USAID.”

Sixty-seven people are reported dead and up to 217,000 people have been affected after the Shabelle River burst its banks after heavy rains.  It is not known how many people have been displaced by the latest flash flooding which occurred ten days ago.  It is feared the situation may be further exacerbated with continuing heavy rains.

“This region has already been hit hard. In mid-August, flooding in the same area killed four people and displaced approximately 56,000,” said Murphy.  “IRC will do everything it can to support this community.”
 
IRC’s first airlift will arrive in Gode on Saturday, November 11th. The items will be distributed by the Ethiopian Disaster Prevention and Preparedness Agency (DPPA), United Nations and national and international NGOs working on the ground.  IRC hopes to send an additional airlift of supplies in the next few days.

IRC’s emergency intervention is supported by the US Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA/USAID).  With assistance from CJTF-HOA, USAID through its partners has already provided several plane loads with approximately 40 MT of food and other supplies to support the relief effort in Ethiopia’s Somali Region.

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For more information or to arrange interviews with staff on the ground, contact:
IRC Ethiopia.  Addis Ababa: David Murphy, Country Director + 251 911 241 779 (mobile) or + 251 11 663 6735 (Office)
USAID/Ethiopia: Kimberly Flowers, Press Officer
Tel. + 251-011-551-0088