Tragic floods claim 45 lives in Ethiopia, leaving us all reeling with a tumultuous mix of confusion and sorrow.

Hello and welcome to the news of the day, Tuesday May 16, 2023.

Oh, my! It seems like Ethiopia is facing some tremendously difficult times! And if you think about it, when doesn’t Africa face these situations? Unfortunately, Climate Change is ravaging the eastern part of Africa and taking its course on Ethiopia as floods have killed forty-five people, leaving many more displaced and homeless.

The Somali region alone has seen over thirty-five thousand households forced to flee from their homes, as well as twenty-three thousand livestock perishing and a staggering ninety-nine thousand hectares of farmland destroyed. The Afar, Oromia, Southern Nations Nationalities and Peoples’ and the South West Ethiopia Peoples’ regions have all also been subjected to this devastating weather.

The flooding is causing further catastrophic effects to the populations, who are already suffering from drought and famine. Vulnerability is at an all-time high, and the terrible effects of the flooding have made it even more challenging for the people of the country. With disastrous flooding, the risk of disease outbreaks such as cholera is at an all-time high, with ninety-four people already falling victim to the disease since August last year.

Worryingly this Cholera outbreak is the longest in Ethiopia’s history, and it is only continuing to spread. Meanwhile, measles is also spreading is drought-affected areas, and rising malaria cases are increasing in flood-affected areas. The health response is stretched to its limits, forcing the nation to deal with an emergency beyond all measures and capabilities.

The short rainy season that typically occurs between February and April, which would generally bring in some relief has backfired in this case. Yes, it did improve drought conditions in terms of agricultural activities, water supply for humans and livestock, as well as pastures, but at what cost? So many lives, livelihoods, homes, schools, health facilities and thousands of farms have been destroyed in the process, which has increased health risks and contamination of water sources. Nature’s wrath has left nothing untouched and disrupted all walks of life, including children’s education, leaving them out of school because they have nowhere else to go.

Overall, the magnitude of the floods and the devastation it is causing seems almost unbearable, leaving me speechless at the unbearable hardship that the Ethiopians have to face. It is up to the world to unite and lend Ethiopia a helping hand to support their people through this trying time.