Flooding In Northeastern Ethiopia Displaces Nearly 20,000 | WeatherBug
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Flooding In Northeastern Ethiopia Displaces Nearly 20,000

August 8, 2020
By Elias Meseret, Associated Press
ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia (AP) — An official in Ethiopia’s northeastern Afar region says heavy flooding has displaced some 20,000 people from their homes.

“The flooding has caused damages to properties and killed several dozens of animals,” Kulsuma Burhaba Ali, deputy head of the region’s disaster prevention department, told the state-affiliated Fana Broadcasting Corporate. “The flooding was caused as the Awash River overflows and affected 10 out of 17 counties in the region.”

There was no word of any deaths.

The official said an additional 51,000 people are in danger, but efforts are underway including airlifts by Ethiopia's military.

Photos posted on social media show residents surrounded by fast-flowing waters and attempting to save their animals.

Ethiopia’s Afar region is mostly inhabited by nomadic herders and is home to the Danakil Depression, a popular tourist area that has been called the hottest place on Earth.

Copyright 2020 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
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Story Image: A Sudanese sits on a mound at a flooded field near the town of Osaylat, 60 km southeast of the capital in Khartoum, Sudan, Friday, Aug. 7, 2020. Seasonal torrential rains have wreaked havoc on houses and infrastructure across Sudan. More than 50,000 people are affected, according to the United Nations. (AP Photo/Marwan Ali)