Kencho Shacha Gozdi, Ethiopia — The death toll from devastating landslides in a remote region of southern Ethiopia has risen to 257, with the United Nations warning that the number could climb to 500.
Rescue operations continue in Kencho Shacha Gozdi, where distraught residents are frantically searching for bodies and survivors. Many are using only their bare hands and shovels to dig through the thick mud.
Solomon Tsoma shared his personal tragedy with AFP, revealing that he lost 13 family members, including his uncle’s seven children and his brother’s infants. “We have recovered 12 bodies but haven’t been able to find my sister’s body,” he said.
The U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) confirmed the updated death toll, emphasizing the potential for the number to increase dramatically. OCHA also highlighted the urgent need to evacuate more than 15,000 people due to the risk of further landslides, including at least 1,320 children under five and 5,293 pregnant women or new mothers.
Aid has begun to reach the isolated region, with the Ethiopian Red Cross Society sending four trucks of supplies.
Tragedy Strikes Twice
The landslide, the deadliest on record in Ethiopia, struck after heavy rains on Sunday. Most of the victims were caught while attempting to help others following an initial landslide.
Getachew Geza, a local resident, described how he and his son rushed to assist after hearing that two houses had been buried. “When we got there … a massive mudslide overwhelmed everyone, including my son.”
Graphic footage shared on social media shows the grim aftermath, with human limbs protruding from the mud and villagers carrying bodies on makeshift stretchers. Women wailed in a nearby tent, mourning beside rows of bodies wrapped in shrouds.
OCHA reported that 12 injured individuals have been taken to a local hospital, and at least 125 people are currently displaced. The number of missing remains unknown.
Global Condolences and Aid
U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed his deep sorrow over the disaster. His spokesman, Stephane Dujarric, conveyed Guterres’ condolences and assured that U.N. agencies are providing essential supplies, including food, nutrition, and health resources, to the affected communities.
Senait Solomon, head of communications for the South Ethiopia regional government, acknowledged that the landslide site is a disaster-prone area. Conservation efforts, such as tree planting, were already underway when the landslides occurred.
Ethiopia, Africa’s second most populous nation, frequently suffers from climate-related disasters. Currently, more than 21 million people, or about 18 percent of the population, rely on humanitarian aid due to conflict, flooding, drought, and other natural calamities.
OCHA noted that a similar landslide in the same area in May resulted in over 50 deaths. Seasonal rains between April and early May had caused extensive flooding, displacement, and damage to infrastructure in South Ethiopia.
In 2017, a garbage dump collapse on the outskirts of Addis Ababa claimed at least 113 lives, marking one of the country’s previous worst disasters. The deadliest landslide in Africa occurred in Sierra Leone’s capital, Freetown, in August 2017, killing 1,141 people. Mudslides in eastern Uganda’s Mount Elgon region in February 2010 also resulted in more than 350 deaths.
As the search for survivors continues, the international community stands in solidarity with Ethiopia, providing aid and support to those affected by this devastating tragedy.
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