Severe drought has persisted in the northern Ethiopian regions of Tigray and Amhara, resulting in the deaths of over 50 individuals and 4,000 livestock.
The northern region of Ethiopia has been experiencing droughts, while the southern and eastern regions of the country, as well as Kenya and Somalia, have been facing flooding. Somalia has been the most severely affected, with 50 deaths reported. The Somali disaster management agency has reported that approximately 700,000 individuals have been displaced from their homes.
In east Africa, 130 individuals have lost their lives due to the floods. Beledweyne, a town in Somalia, experienced significant damage as the Shabelle River overflowed, resulting in the destruction of numerous residences. Save the Children reports that approximately 250,000 individuals (which makes up 90% of Beledweyne’s population) were displaced from their homes. The flooding is anticipated to persist in impacting east Africa, and the United Nations cautions that 4.3 million people (equivalent to a quarter of Somalia’s population) are in danger of facing “severe hunger or worse.”
Turkey is currently facing the consequences of a strong storm and flooding that occurred on November 18th and 19th. The storm caused the sinking of a Turkish cargo ship, the Kafkametler, off the coast of the Black Sea. The ship collided with a breakwater near the town of Ereğli, resulting in 11 crew members going missing. The ship had already suffered damage in October from hitting a mine near the coast of Romania. Due to the severe weather, the search and rescue efforts were delayed for several hours. However, after conditions improved, the body of the ship’s cook was found. Another ship, registered in Cameroon, was also impacted by the storm and broke in half, but all crew members were safely evacuated beforehand.
Efforts to rescue and provide aid are ongoing in several provinces, as significant destruction has been reported to homes and infrastructure. This includes roofs being blown off, trees toppling over, and flooding. In light of the situation, schools in four provinces have been temporarily closed. Tragically, nine fatalities have been reported in three provinces, and at least 50 individuals have been injured.
Source: theguardian.com
