A plane dispatched by the UAE on Saturday, July 27, is carrying aid to southern Ethiopia following landslides triggered by heavy rainfall, which led to significant loss of life and extensive property damage.
Reem bint Ebrahim Al Hashimy, Minister of State for International Cooperation, emphasized that these contributions reflect the country's ongoing efforts to support affected communities worldwide. The landslide in Ethiopia is the most fatal recorded in the country, which is Africa's second most populous nation and frequently suffers from climate-related catastrophes.
The death toll from the landslides has reached 257, according to the United Nations, which warned that the number of victims could increase to 500. Over 21 million people, or approximately 18% of the population, depend on humanitarian aid in Ethiopia due to conflict and natural disasters like flooding and drought. The UN's humanitarian agency, OCHA, reported earlier this week that a smaller-scale landslide occurred in the same area in May, resulting in more than 50 deaths.
Seasonal rains between April and early May in South Ethiopia state caused flooding, mass displacement, and damage to livelihoods and infrastructure. In 2017, at least 113 people died when a garbage dump collapsed on the outskirts of Addis Ababa. The deadliest landslide in Africa occurred in Freetown, Sierra Leone's capital, in August 2017, claiming 1,141 lives. Mudslides in the Mount Elgon region of eastern Uganda killed over 350 people in February 2010.
