Addis Ababa ( Ethiopia Today) June 6 2023:- The Horn of Africa has been impacted by a mixture of continued drought and heavy rains that caused severe flash floods in some parts of the region, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) has said.
The flood waters have worsened the risk of water-borne diseases such as cholera, among a population weakened by high rates of malnutrition, the UN migration agency said in its latest situation update issued late Monday.
“After five failed rainy seasons that drove mass displacement, widespread death of livestock and a devastating food and water crisis, in April the Horn of Africa region was impacted by a mixture of continued drought and heavy rains that caused severe flash floods in some parts of the region,” it said.
Data from the IOM show that by mid-April, a cholera outbreak in Ethiopia had spread at an alarming rate in several regions with more than 4,000 cases — a doubling since January — including 71 deaths.
The UN migration agency said further cholera outbreaks were reported in Somalia. It warned that levels of malnutrition in the region also reached a high point, although the rains provided some relief by replenishing water points and providing vegetation and improved agricultural conditions.
“While famine has been averted through sustained and scaled-up assistance, the humanitarian situation remains extremely dire and further scaled-up multi-sectoral assistance and donor support is urgently required,” the IOM said.
According to the IOM, the areas that needed further scaled-up multi-sectoral assistance and donor support include support for water, sanitation and hygiene and health.
The IOM, however, said it remains severely underfunded, especially in Ethiopia, Kenya and Djibouti.
Since January 2022, the IOM said it has scaled up its drought response significantly in Somalia and Ethiopia, reaching out to more than 3.7 million people.
Source: Xinhua
