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Ethiopia Floods Response Plan, Belg/Gu Season Floods (May 2020)

Countries
Ethiopia
Sources
OCHA
Publication date

Number of people affected - 470,163
Number of people displaced - 301,284
Requirements - US$30.7M
Available - US$5.1M
Gap - US$25.6 M

Context

According to the National Meteorology Agency’s mid-season belg/gu weather forecast, the seasonal rainfall is expected to peak in May in most belg/gu rain dependent areas of the country. The rain producing systems are anticipated to be strengthened across most belg/gu areas in May. Heavy rainfall is also likely to occur in parts of eastern, southern, south eastern and south western parts of the country.

During the months of April and May 2020, heavy and prolonged belg/gu rains led to flooding and landslide incidents in Somali, Oromia, Afar, SNNP and Dire Dawa. Latest National Disaster Risk Management Commission (NDRMC) reports indicate that close to 470,163 people are affected and 301,284 people are displaced by floods across the country.

This National Flood Response Plan aims to provide directions and guidance at federal level, while providing the template and directions for the regional and sub-regional partners to adapt to local contexts and come up with their own response plan. The document also aims to serve as the basis for continued monitoring, preparation of relevant multi-sectoral operational plans as required at national level and will be shared to regions for contextualizing the plans, employ local warning systems and structures and for preparedness and emergency precautionary measures.

In addition, the plan will help clusters establish a minimum level of multi-hazard preparedness as well as build the basis for a joint Government and humanitarian partners response strategy to meet the needs of affected people for the period of 3 months (AprilJune 2020).

Government and partners are responding to the needs of flood-affected and displaced people in Somali, Afar, SNNP and Oromia regions, albeit with limitations. The Somali Regional Government requested the federal Government through the NDRMC for military helicopters which will help move supplies to flood-affected communities in the hard-hit and unreachable areas of Shabelle zone. Afar Regional Disaster Prevention and Food Security Coordination Office (DPFSCO) is supporting only half of the flood-affected households with food and non-food items from prepositioned relief items and made a request to NDRMC for more food and NFI to assist the remaining half of the needs.

So far, NDRMC has allocated and dispatched 3,038 quintal of food (wheat, oil and dates) and ES/NFIs kits (Blanket, Plastic sheet, cup, plate, cooking pot,) to the flood impacted areas in SNNP and Afar region. Whereas, WFP and operational partners are providing food and ES/NFIs assistance in Somali and Oromia regions.

UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs: To learn more about OCHA's activities, please visit https://www.unocha.org/.