AFRICA/ETHIOPIA - Thousands of families displaced due to continuous seismic activities in Afar and Oromia

Monday, 20 January 2025

Addis Ababa (Agenzia Fides) - "Some residents in Awash and Dulecha districts are reluctant to evacuate, particularly pastoralist communities concerned about their livestock and property," reads the note from the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in reference to a series of seismic activities that have occurred since last week in parts of Afar and Oromia.

"Over the past few weeks, several earthquakes originating from the Great Rift Valley have been recorded in Ethiopia, mainly affecting the Afar region and the Awash Fentale district. Tremors were also felt in the Amhara and Oromia regions, as far as the capital Addis Ababa," the Italian Embassy in Addis Ababa said in a statement issued on January 17.

“The reluctance to leave the affected localities is due to the fact that the evacuation sites do not provide adequate conditions for the livelihood of pastoralists. The authorities, through the Incident Command Post (ICP), are considering “mandatory relocations in high-risk areas” to ensure public safety. OCHA reported that 18 earthquakes related to the Fentale volcanic complex were recorded last week.”

Currently, more than 80,000 people have been evacuated from areas that are experiencing continuous tremors, landslides and ash emissions. OCHA also stated that “many evacuees are living in open spaces with makeshift shelters such as plastic sheeting roofs or poorly constructed traditional dome-shaped structures, which expose them to scorching heat during the day, cold nights and strong winds, leaving them exposed to the elements.” The agency warned that "the lack of adequate shelter increases vulnerability, especially for women, girls and children."

"The displacement of nearly 400,000 livestock has disrupted the livelihoods of pastoralists, as the evacuation sites do not have land suitable for maintaining these animals," reads an update. In a previous report, the UN agency said that 6,780 families among those evacuated from Afar, where the largest number of displaced people are located, had received food aid. However, 2,250 families have still not received aid. (AP) (Agenzia Fides, 20/1/2025)


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