ADDIS ABABA, 28 Aug 2006 (IRIN) – Ethiopia’s disaster response authority and aid agencies have amended the flash appeal for funds needed to provide emergency relief to thousands of people affected by the floods that have ravaged the country since late July.
The Disaster Prevention and Preparedness Agency (DPPA) and humanitarian agencies said US $27,099,526, and not $61 million as initially estimated, would be required to meet the emergency food, non-food, and rehabilitation needs of the country after floods claimed the lives of 639 people, including 364 in the southern regional state of South Omo and 256 in the eastern city of Dire Dawa. Deaths were also reported in Amhara, Gambella, Somali and Oromiya regional states.
The DPPA said the error in the initial appeal, released on Friday, was caused by a miscalculation of the funds needed to meet the food component. A total of 10,178 tonnes of emergency food aid is required in the next three months to help at least 199,000 people. Tens of thousands of people have lost their livelihoods to the floods.
Thousands of people remained stranded in submerged villages or were living in temporary shelters due to ongoing heavy rains, and were in dire need of search and rescue boats and life-vests, emergency non-food items, water and sanitation, and health services, according to the appeal document. The full extent of the damage to infrastructure, private property and livelihoods remained unknown, it added.
Due to prolonged and intensive rainfall, the soil in most areas, particularly in the western, central highlands and northwestern parts of the Ethiopia have become saturated. Rivers have swollen and flash floods have caused extensive damage in many areas.
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[ENDS]
Source: IRIN, Aug 28, 2006
