More than 50 people have died in Ethiopia’s northern Tigray and Amhara regions amid drought and an aid freeze, local officials have told the BBC. The Horn of Africa has had five failed rainy seasons since 2019, according to the UN. The US and UN suspended aid earlier this year after allegations of theft, worsening the humanitarian crisis.
Tigray is recovering from a two-year civil war which ended a year ago, while a conflict has erupted in Amhara. About 46 people died in the town of Yechila in Tigray, while six died in the neighbouring Amhara region of Wag Hemra, because of food shortages, the officials said. Over 4,000 cattle have died because of severe drought. Africa Live: Update on this and other stories Haunted by cemetery bodies unearthed by Somali floods As northern Ethiopia battles drought, the country’s southern and eastern regions have been deluged by flash floods.
In a statement on X, formerly known as Twitter, the UN said that more than 370,000 people had fled their homes because of the floods. At least 43 people have been killed by the flooding and landslides in the eastern Somali region. During the war in Tigray, the region was cut off from humanitarian aid, leading to an unknown number of deaths. But it has been estimated that about 500,000 people may have died as a result of war, lack of medical supplies and hunger amid what were described as “famine-like conditions”. The conflict ended after the Ethiopian government and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) signed a peace deal brokered by the African Union (AU).
After the conflict ended, there was a steady flow of aid until June, when the US and UN paused humanitarian assistance, staying it had been systematically stolen by corrupt officials. The US says widespread food deliveries will be resumed in December after significant reforms had been made to ensure that the supplies reached those who needed it most.
Across East Africa, heavy rains and flash flooding have killed 130 people in Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia in recent weeks, according to the Associated Press. The UN has described them as a “once-in-a-century event”.
In a statement, Fati N’Zi-Hassane, Oxfam in Africa Director said, the region was “going from one disaster to the next as climatic shocks become more frequent and intense”. Somalia has been especially hit hard by the floods, after suffering from catastrophic droughts in recent years.
The worst hit town is Beledweyne, where the Shabelle River burst its banks. The El Nino phenomenon has greatly affected East Africa. It is caused by warming in the Pacific Ocean and is linked to flooding, cyclones, drought and wildfires.
Not all droughts or floods are due to climate change, but excess heat in the atmosphere is drawing more moisture out of the earth and making droughts worse, while a warming atmosphere caused by climate change makes extreme rainfall more likely. The world has already warmed by about 1.2C since since the industrial era began and temperatures will keep rising unless governments around the world make steep cuts to emissions. please paraphrase in simplest English to lay man understanding to post on website as a content creator and give BBC credit as original source
“Over 50 Lives Lost in Ethiopia Due to Drought and Aid Freeze: Humanitarian Crisis Deepens”
In the northern regions of Tigray and Amhara in Ethiopia, more than 50 people have tragically lost their lives due to a combination of severe drought and a halt in aid, according to local officials as reported by the BBC.
The Horn of Africa has faced five consecutive failed rainy seasons since 2019, as noted by the United Nations. Earlier this year, the United States and the UN suspended aid in response to allegations of theft, exacerbating the already dire humanitarian situation.
Tigray, still recovering from a two-year civil war that concluded a year ago, and Amhara, experiencing a current conflict, are grappling with food shortages. The town of Yechila in Tigray saw 46 casualties, while six people lost their lives in the neighboring Amhara region of Wag Hemra.
Additionally, more than 4,000 cattle have perished due to the severe drought. The impact of the drought extends beyond these regions, with the southern and eastern parts of Ethiopia facing flash floods.
In a statement on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), the UN disclosed that over 370,000 people have been displaced by floods. Meanwhile, in the eastern Somali region, at least 43 people have lost their lives to flooding and landslides.
The situation in Tigray during the recent civil war resulted in the region being cut off from humanitarian aid, contributing to an unknown number of deaths.
An estimated 500,000 people may have lost their lives due to war, lack of medical supplies, and hunger in what was described as “famine-like conditions.”
Despite a flow of aid after the conflict’s resolution, humanitarian assistance was paused by the US and UN in June, citing systematic theft by corrupt officials. However, the US plans to resume widespread food deliveries in December after implementing significant reforms to ensure equitable distribution.
Across East Africa, heavy rains and flash floods have claimed the lives of 130 people in Ethiopia, Kenya, and Somalia in recent weeks, according to the Associated Press. The UN has labeled these events as a “once-in-a-century event.”
Oxfam in Africa Director, Fati N’Zi-Hassane, expressed concern, stating that the region is experiencing a continuous cycle of disasters as climate-related shocks become more frequent and intense.
Somalia, in particular, has been severely affected by the floods, following catastrophic droughts in recent years. The town of Beledweyne has been hit the hardest, with the Shabelle River bursting its banks.
The El Nino phenomenon, driven by Pacific Ocean warming, has significantly impacted East Africa, leading to phenomena such as flooding, cyclones, droughts, and wildfires.
While not all instances of droughts or floods are directly attributable to climate change, the excess heat in the atmosphere is intensifying these events, making droughts more severe and extreme rainfall more likely.
It’s crucial to note that the world has already warmed by approximately 1.2 degrees Celsius since the industrial era began, and temperatures will continue to rise unless global governments implement substantial cuts to emissions. The information in this post is credited to the original source, the BBC.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-67505676