Ethiopia has announced a three-day national mourning period starting Saturday, following a devastating landslide that claimed over 250 lives in a remote southern region.
The House of Peoples’ Representatives made the announcement, stating that the period of remembrance would provide comfort to the relatives of the victims and the entire nation.
Rescue efforts continue in the affected area, Kencho Shacha Gozdi, with aid starting to arrive, including four trucks from the Ethiopian Red Cross Society. The Ethiopian Disaster Risk Management Commission reports that humanitarian aid and rehabilitation efforts are underway, with a focus on relocating 6,000 people and evacuating over 15,000 others at risk of further landslides.
International condolences have poured in, including from the African Union, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, and World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, an Ethiopian national.
The landslide, triggered by heavy rains, has highlighted Ethiopia’s vulnerability to climate-related disasters, with over 21 million people relying on humanitarian aid due to conflict, flooding, or drought.
